Freudian Slips
by Elissa707
Summary: Captain adjusts to his life in the 21st century and with the Avengers... and possibly love. WILL CONTAIN M/M SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Avengers. I will never own Avengers. If I owned them, then I would not be writing this, I would be filming it and enjoying life on my own personal island. **

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_ One, two. One, two. One, two, SLAM. _After sending the last punching bag to the wall,I straightened up and quickly dropped the ground. _Fifty pushups, then breakfast. One, Two, Three…_

"Good morrow, friend." Thor boomed, slamming the door and resting Mjolnir on the ground. _Overly loud oaf…_ _Doesn't he realize that some of us are still sleeping? He's going to wake Hawkeye…_ I nodded to him and continued studying the contraption in front of me. _It says coffee maker on it… but where do I put the grounds? And where are the grounds?_

"Will you keep it down? Some of us were trying to rest here." Grumbled Hawkeye as he walked into the kitchen. _Damn, he needs more sleep. _I looked him over, he was just as fit as ever but that shadow has yet to leave his eyes. _Damn Asgardians… _He looked at me curiously and I realized I was staring, so I turned back to the machine.

"Hey Cap, you just have to push the button. Watch" Hawkeye nudged me out of the way and tapped **'COFFEE' 'CREAMER' '2' 'SUGARS'**. A whir and a ding later, and the machine opened to deposit a mug on the counter-top. _Fascinating…_

"Alright, thank you." I said to him. He nodded back, taking his coffee and leaving the kitchen. _What, no food? _Going back to looking at the machine, I tried to remember how I like my coffee. _What is creamer?_ With a mental shrug, I copied Hawkeye and waited for my drink.

"How fare you, Captain?" asked Thor, still loud but slightly quieter. I looked up to see him sitting at the kitchen bar with a mug of ale and a pile of various meats. _Hedonist._

"I am well. And you?" I replied politely, as I looked for a pan and some plates. _Ah, here it is. Clearly these soldiers do not know what breakfast is, so I will just have to show them. _

"I am also well. Would you care to join me with some Asgardian ale or do you prefer your little mortal drink?" he asked me, after finishing his mugful. _Arrogant too._ Suddenly he threw the mug on the ground and it smashed. "Another drink!" he cried out and some metal arms put one on the table and cleaned up the mess. _What?_

"I'll stick with my drink." I said back, as I finished gathering three dozen eggs and some other ingredients. _That should be plenty for everyone._

Twenty minutes later, I had a huge serving platter filled with omelets. I left them there for the others to eat when they woke up. I then took a plate full and carried it to Hawkeye's room, where I knew he would be resting. _He BETTER be resting, Loki left a lot of unpleasant surprises on him… _Taking a breath to remember that Loki will be suffering, eternally, for his crimes, I knocked on Hawkeye's door. Silence, then a quiet "come in" came a few seconds later. I released the breath I didn't know I held. _Relax soldier, you're carrying a plate of food to an injured comrade, not walking through a minefield_

"What is it Captain?" he asked me, raising an eyebrow at the food. "I don't recall ordering room service."

"You aren't eating enough; you're recovering. Coffee isn't breakfast." I said, handing him the plate.

"I've lived off coffee for years, perfectly healthy. And I'm fine, fully recovered. " He said, eyes flashing in anger.

"Just eat the omelet." I said to him. _This isn't going well._

"No. I don't need special treatment. I'm fine!" he said, his voice rising.

"It ISN'T special treatment, I made omelets for everyone. But you're in your room and I wanted to make sure you got one." I said back, before shaking my head and leaving. I stood outside of him a moment before walking away, heading to the pool for some laps. _That could have gone so much better. _

After swimming a few hundred laps, I went back to my room. _Stark outdid himself with this 'Avengers Tower'. Gym, pool, rooms for each of us. Not that he uses his, he has his own tower. But it's quite nice. Though these robots are a bit creepy… _

I walked into my bathroom and got into the shower. As I was washing up, I heard quiet knocking, so I called out. "Come in, I'll be out in a second". I finished quickly and dried up, exiting the bathroom to find Hawkeye sitting on my bed.

"Hawkeye." I said in greeting. _This is probably not good. _I went to my closet and looked for a shirt, choosing a simple white one. Turning around again, I saw Hawkeye shake his head and then speak.

"I just wanted to apologize for earlier and thank you for the omelet. It was very good."

"It's fine, no hard feelings." I smiled at him briefly as I buttoned up my shirt. _I wonder why he suddenly feels the need to apologize…_

"I shouldn't have reacted that way; I know you're just trying to do what's best for us all." He continued.

"Yes, keeping the team healthy is important but I didn't do it just for that." I replied with a small frown. _What is all of this…? _

"What do you mean?" He asked; an odd emotion in his eyes.

"Well, I consider you a friend. I want to make sure you are alright." I said, watching him. _The 21__st__ century, land of the confusing and home of the secret-meaning. _

"Oh. Well, thank you." He said, looking a bit awkward suddenly. Walking over to my dresser, I opened the top drawer.

"Damnitt Stark, what is WITH all this Vaseline?" I exclaimed.

"…What?" Hawkeye walked over to me, looked in the drawer, and fell onto my bed laughing.

"What's so funny?" I demanded him.

"It's- , wow Captain, I didn't know you and Tony… Wow." He continued laughing, before finally stopping. At least until he looked at me, where he turned bright red and started giggling.

"Will you get a hold of yourself soldier? Now what is so funny?" I asked again. _Hawkeye blushes… _

"It's… It's a sex joke Captain. Vaseline is frequently used to ahm. Spank the monkey." Said Hawkeye, in between giggling. _I've never seen this side of Hawkeye… If monkey spanking is all it takes, then off to the zoo!_

"…What?"

"You know… Beat the meat? Bop the bishop? Choke the chicken? Polish the guns?" he said, getting steadily redder with each… phrase. _Maybe the zoo isn't the right place. I feel that there is a secret meaning here…_

"Did you hit your head?"

"Oh my god, I know you're old fashioned but…" he groaned before looking at me and sighing. He took his hand, pretended to hold something in front of his pants and jerked… _oh_

"…I see." I said, trying desperately to destroy this mental image and not flush. _Baseball. Baseball. Hawkeye Ball... Wait. NO._

"Wow Cap, I didn't know you could go so red." Hawkeye said, before succumbing again to giggling.

I shut my eyes before replying "You're not exactly pale yourself." _Stop thinking about Hawkeye, stop thinking about it… _

"What in the hell is wrong with Stark?" I muttered under my breath, shutting the drawer a bit harder than intended.

"So Tony just gives you all this… lotion?" asked Hawkeye, still rather pink.

"No, whenever I leave my room I find a drawer has been emptied out of my things and replaced with Vaseline. It's rather annoying, actually." I replied, sitting next to him and shaking my head.

"Uhm… I don't know how to say this Cap'n, but…" He started nervously.

"What?"

"Are you and Tony… together?"

I stared at him. He fidgeted. I stared some more. He coughed nervously. I opened and closed my mouth.

"…No. Stark and I are NOT together, nor will we ever be. Stark isn't even gay, he's with that girl… The redhead, Paprika. No, Pepper." I replied dumbstruck. _Stark and me?_ I burst out laughing.

Hawkeye seemed a bit less nervous at my laughter and said "Tony is bi, he sleeps, or tries to at least, with all of the sexiest men and women, which includes you. Erm. He's hitting on you Cap." He then laid back with his hands behind his head, the picture of relaxation. I just stared at him. _Hawkeye called me sexy? Or is he just saying what Stark said?_

"So I'm guessing you've been in his bed." I said back. _Wait. Mouth, I did not give you permission to say that out loud. What the hell? _Hawkeye bolted straight up and stared at me open mouthed. _Well mouth, looks like your punishment is Hawkeye fist. You earned it._

Before he could speak, the door burst open and Tony walked in, glaring a moment at Hawkeye before speaking.

"Clint, Natasha is looking for you. Something about a training date." Said Stark with a shrug. _BW and Hawkeye are dating?_

"Oh, right. I forgot about training… She could have just messaged me. Ah well, thanks Tony. I'll chat with you later Cap, thanks again for breakfast." He flashed a quick smile and then walked off.

"So, Captain. You and Clint, eh?" Said Stark with a, or what he thought was a, seductive smile. _Well that's creepy._

I simply shook my head before replying with "If you don't mind Stark, I'd like to finish getting dressed. I have somewhere to be."

"No fun. But Captain, I'll find out. I am quite good at getting on top of things." On that, he turned and walked away; swaying his hips. _…How did I not notice this before? But how odd, homosexuality is accepted now? _

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_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_

So how do like it? Good? Bad? Shall I continue? Or delete it and pretend it never happened? Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

**I still don't own the Avengers. I also don't own Bucky. I do own my florist lady, but that's about it.  
**

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After deciding that regardless of homosexuality's acceptance, I shall just do my job and that will be that, I walked down the hall to leave Avengers' Tower. _It's not like I have time to date, between training and leading the Avengers I have exactly enough time to shower and sleep. It just wouldn't be fair to the other person; I would never have time for them._ Determinedly ignoring the little voice that pointed out that I see the Avengers and many SHIELD agents daily, which includes many attractive people, I swung one leg over my motorcycle and rode off.

Finally reaching my destination, I pulled off my helmet and walked to the door. Taking a breath, I opened the door and heard the bell chime.

"Hello dearie. Looking for anything in particular?" asked an older woman, adjusting roses and daffodils in their respective displays.

"Yes, ma'am. I'm looking for some lilies." I said, looking through the small shop.

"I only have white left, just one more bouquet. Is that alright, dear?" she asked, turning to me and gesturing to the other side of the store. "They're over there, next to the daisies and carnations."

"Thank you ma'am." I took the bouquet and walked over the register.

"These for a special someone?" she asked with a smile, as she met me at the register.

With a smile that I hoped looked less pained than it felt, I replied "Yes, but one who has passed."

"Oh, dearie… I'm so sorry. You are far too young to be burying." Said the woman, with a pat on my arm. "50% discount today on all white flowers, so your total is $15." I smiled briefly at her and handed her the money. I left and climbed onto my motorcycle to head to the graveyard. _He was far too young to be buried… white lilies always were his favorite. _

I sat on the bench in front of his grave, thinking. _Bucky… I lived, he died. A few feet between us, that was all the difference. I landed in freezing water, he landed everywhere. If I had been just a bit faster, been right next to him, I would be dead too. Or if he had been slower… If he had listened to me and waited… _I took a deep breath before standing and putting the lilies in front of his headstone. _He was only fifteen on that first mission, what were we thinking… Only twenty on the last. _I brushed my fingers over his name for a moment, and closed my eyes in remembrance of the three years of smiles, laughs, and friendship forged in the middle of a war. Smiling softly, remembering that first fumbled, accidental, kiss… _He thought I needed CPR. _Then the next two years, such perfect, secret years. _He wanted to try and get married, use our political strength and fame to push it through… I wonder if it would have worked… _Shaking my head, I opened my eyes.

"What do you think Bucky? The Avengers, the new costume… Of course the life of a super hero would never involve a home with a picket fence and chickens like we wanted." I shook my head once more and looked at the grave once more.

"Goodbye Bucky, I'll be back soon."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm posting a bit earlier than I intend to normally, but I won't be able to post it tomorrow so.. here it is today! (though teeeeechnically it is tomorrow.. as it's 3 am... hmm..)

A rather short chapter, but one I felt was needed. For those who are staring at the screen wondering who in the hell Bucky is; I don't think he was mentioned in The Avengers Movie. He was Captain America's partner. Bucky and Captain were trying to prevent a missile from going off (the fun way, by climbing on it) and Bucky tried to diffuse it. The resulting explosion killed Bucky and launched Captain into the water where he froze until found by Iron Man.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Bucky and Captain became an item three years after he was fifteen, so they didn't start dating until he was 18. Yes, Captain is 5 years older than Bucky (making Cap 23 while Bucky was 18). Flame if it makes you happy, but war makes its own rules and five years is not that drastic an age difference.


	3. Chapter 3

**Avengers still aren't mine. but eh, borrowed toys are more fun anyways :D  
**

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After spending the remainder of the afternoon the same way I always do after visiting Bucky, that is, riding my motorcycle every and anywhere, and eating at some small Chinese place, I returned to Avengers' Tower feeling much more relaxed and loose. Glancing at my wristwatch, I decided against another bout of fitness in favor of a hot bath and bed. _Today has been odd enough, I could use a bit of relaxing. I'll work out for an extra hour tomorrow._

I walked down the hall, stopping briefly in the kitchen for a glass of water, to my room. As I neared my room, I saw BW leave Hawkeye's. _I guess they actually are together…_ I shook my head to clear it of that thought and called out a greeting. The Widow glanced up and smiled at me, pausing so we could walk together.

"Hello BW, how are you?" I asked, making sure to match her pace.

"I'm pretty good, how are you Steve?" she replied, the easy smile she wore when it was just me and her was rather comforting. _At least she won't be throwing me for any loops. _

"I'm good, a little thrown, but good." I replied.

"Talk in your room or mine?" she asked me, concerned. _Where would I be without BW… probably still assuming anyone talking on a Bluetooth is talking to me… _

"I can handle it… If it gets too weird I'll ask." I replied, with a thankful smile to her.

"Alright, but remember, my room is always open unless it's locked, and even then." She said before quickly hugging me and slipping into her room. I watched her walk away and then continued down the hall to my room. _I'll need to ask her if she and Hawkeye are dating… It's going to bother me until I know._ I quickly downed my water and then went into the bathroom to run the bath. As I was just about to strip down, I heard knocking on the door. _What is with today? Can't I bathe in peace?_ With a sigh, I fixed my shirt and firmly shut the bathroom door before answering the continued knocking.

"Come on guys, everyti-" I started before jumping a bit in surprise at seeing Nick Fury standing in front of me.

"Fury, what is it?" I asked, straightening and standing at attention.

"Once again Captain, America needs you." He replied sternly, as always. "You have twenty minutes to gather all that you need, pack lightly, then you must meet me in the lobby. Twenty minutes." He then turned and walked away. _That was only really ominous. _

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, another realllllly short chapter, but two shorts equal one long, right? Right? You got two chapters in one day AND a super cliffhanger. I oh so enjoy cliffhangers when I'm not the one dangling. Now, I'll continue reviewed or not, but it would make my day if you reviewed. I get oddly excited whenever I see that I have new reviews. You will get a new update... Wednesday? Tuesday Night? Thursday if I'm being really lazy and Friday if I somehow find a life. Probably Tuesday/Wednesday.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Avengers.**** I also don't own Fury.**

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Working quickly, I changed into my costume got my shield, grabbed a change of clothes and my pack, and I sat on my bed. I took a deep breath and told myself to relax. _You have fifteen more minutes before you need to be out there. Take five, then recheck pack, then head out._ After spending those five minutes to breathe and relax, I opened my pack and looked through it. _Change of clothes, check. Shied maintenance kit, check. Emergency gun and paraphernalia, check. First Aid kit, check. Power bars and water, check. Vaseline, check. Wait. Damnitt Stark. _With a groan, I threw the Vaseline at the wall… a bit too hard clearly as there was now a bottle-shaped dent in the wall. _Calm down soldier, at least he's smart enough to not empty out the pack._ Sighing, I opened up my First Aid kit to make sure that all the supplies were still usable. After I was done verifying that I had all that I needed, I left my room.

As I entered the room, I saw that all the other Avengers were already assembled. Bruce sat on the couch alongside Thor; the two had grown quite close after that battle. BW stood next to Hawkeye who was leaning on the wall, looking like he was quite bored. Iron Man sat on the large loveseat and made a small gesture that I should join him. _Hm, loveseat with Stark… Oh look someone who isn't Stark._ I pretended to not notice him and walked to where BW was standing, opting to stand next to her. She immediately moved a bit closer to me and I nodded to Fury. Fury inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement and began to speak.

"Before the battle with Loki, Black Widow was working on a project. She got almost all the information we needed to move forward, so we pulled her when Loki attacked and sent SHIELD agents to finish up the job. Unfortunately, there was a key piece of information missing, and the SHIELD agents are… gone." He began, and paused for dramatic effect. Thor stared off into space and Bruce poked him to get him back on Earth. BW muttered under her breath, something about it not being her fault and a ledger. Tony looked like he was asleep and Hawkeye was staring at something directly above Fury's head. Dramatic pauses were a bit lost on us, so I asked the question he was waiting for. _Bureaucracy and their need for drama…_

"What do you mean 'gone'?" I asked

"They are currently residing in one of SHIELD's hospital bays, but they are in a full and totally unresponsive coma. The project was codenamed The Johnson Plan and its goal was to contain the dangerous super powered people of the world. Widow was investigating a rumor that a drug lord was a shape-shifter who was attempting to secretly take over the drug industry and from there, fund a campaign for the world. He was, so we moved in. What we didn't know is that his right hand man is a telepath. When my agents came close, he attacked. From what our intel says, he can separate the mind from the body and put his victims in a sort of… dream state. The agents are all conscious, but they are trapped in a dream." He said. He looked at each of us before continuing.

"So what, you need us to catch this telepath guy?" asked Tony who still looked like he was asleep.

"Yes and no. Some of you will be working on catching him. But two of you will have a different job; Dr. Banner has created a machine that will send someone into this dreamland. The agents who are in a coma are… special and need to be saved if at all possible. Captain, you need to be one of the ones who go into the dreamland. For the SHIELD agents, you are a role model, someone good. They will trust you. I would recommend that the Widow be one of the ones who go after the telepath, but I'll leave it up to you to decide." After he finished, he took a few steps back. The team looked towards me and I considered the options. _Bruce and Thor work together well and BW has been working on the project before. BW who be a good leader for this mission while I am with the agents. But who to take with me? The agents are too scared of Hulk and Thor and BW needs to be working this project, so they should definitely be after this telepath. My only options are Hawkeye and Stark. The agents don't like Stark, but then again, does anyone? And they might not remember that Hawkeye was innocent. Will Stark even have his suit in dreamland? But Hawkeye is still recovering from Loki's mind attack; will it be safe for him?_

"Bruce, this machine of yours, it's safe right? I don't mind going in, but I won't risk anyone else, not when the consequence is losing your mind. And will I have my shield in there?" I asked him.

"It won't do any damage, it will either work and you'll enter the dream state or it won't and you'll be wearing electrodes and a tinfoil hat for nothing. And it's powered totally by your mind, so if you need your shield, you sort of… will it into existence." He replied, looking at me. _So, my choices are Stark or Hawkeye. Stark; annoying and arrogant and trying to seduce me and he SHIELD agents don't like or trust him. Hawkeye; reliable and funny and somewhat awkward to be around, kind of emotional lately. The SHIELD agents may or may not trust him. Seems like a pretty clear choice…_

"BW, you're leading the search for this telepath. You have Bruce and Thor." They interrupted me to high five each other. Stark and Hawkeye looked at me and BW nodded. "You'll also have Stark. Hawkeye, you're with me. Alright?" I said, not actually expecting my soldiers to contest me.

"Are you sure you don't want me with you Cap, I mean, Hawkeye is still recovering after all." Said Stark, looking at me with a far too earnest expression on his face. _Oh right, these aren't my soldiers. I miss my obedient soldiers._

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I replied "Yes Stark, I'm sure. You'll be much more useful to BW and your… concern for Hawkeye, while admirable, is not needed as Bruce says it won't do any damage, right Bruce?" _Am I allowed to order Stark to drop and give me fifty, or is that a soldiers-only punishment?_

"Uh, yea. It won't hurt Hawkeye any more than it will hurt you. The SHIELD scientists I worked with have my notes and the briefing I prepared." He replied. _Well, what does THAT mean?_

Fury stepped forward again and said "This is an urgent mission as this telepath knows everything that my agents knew and has the power to drop anyone. Avengers, come with me. Hawkeye and Captain will be briefed and sent off tonight; those after the telepath will leave tomorrow." After speaking, Fury walked out of the room and the team followed. Hawkeye, however, waited for me to walk next to him and grabbed my arm. I looked at him in question and stopped walking.

"Why aren't I going with Natasha and the others, do you think I can't handle a fight? Worried he might take my mind again, like Loki?" he asked angrily. _What is WITH Hawkeye lately? Angry, happy, angry, happy. _

"No, I think that if I'm alone with Stark I'll drown him with this damn Vaseline. Hell, the agents would probably help me." I replied, trying to defuse him a bit. "Hawkeye, you've worked with SHIELD, they trust you and they hate Stark. It seemed like a better idea to take you rather than someone they hate." He glared at me and I shook his hand off my arm.

"If I didn't think you could fight, why would I take you as my only backup? If I was worried you would be unable to fight, wouldn't I make you stay here?" I pointed out before turning away from him and walking out the door. _Maybe I should get him to see someone for these bipolar tendencies… _I shook my head and looked for Fury, following him to the SHIELD aircraft.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, I'm posting this a bit earlier than I meant to but I give up on guessing when I post. I'm just going to post when I remember that I should. But dudes. I have a plot now. I'm excited for it. But what do you think? Am I horribly OOC? Or is this acceptable?


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own the Avengers.**

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"Alright sirs, please strip down to your smalls and put on a hospital gown, then meet me in the hall, through this door here." Said a young and pretty nurse who stared at Hawkeye with adoration, while Hawkeye looked bored, again. He glanced at her and gave a nod. _Wow, one nod and that nurse looks like she's about to faint. _Stuttering slightly, she repeated the instructions and then fairly fled through the door.

"Looks like you have a fan." I said conversationally, as I politely turned away from him to give a little privacy. I took off my face mask and started the annoying process of trying to find the ties on this new costume. _How is it that the costume has only a few changes, yet the removal process is entirely different? _

Hawkeye snorted and replied with a muttered "She's not exactly my type." I heard the quite sounds of clips being undone and rustling clothes.

"What, not a fan of quiet, fangirl innocence?" I said back, removing my belt. Here he laughed before replying "Innocence, have you ever seen a fangirl convention? They're all over the place. You have quite a few clubs… And trust me; they're not exactly the innocent girls of 1945." _I have fan clubs again? Ugh… at least I haven't had any kidnapping attempts yet. Or letters… oh god, the letters…_

"Girls weren't as innocent back then as you'd think… I was kidnapped by a pack of them." I said back, pulling off my shirt. _Ugh, that night. _With a shudder, I neatly folded my shirt and placed it on the table in front of me.

"I never heard about that… What happened?" asked Hawkeye.

"Well, the press didn't exactly want the world to know that a group of barely-out-of-their-teens girls managed to kidnap the nation's hero." I replied, and when I heard him laugh I decided that a rather embarrassing story was a small price to pay to make him happy. _Eh, it's not like anyone would believe him anyways, I barely believe it happened myself and I was there. _"It was during one of my 'Rally the Public' parades PR made me do. Bucky was off rallying the teenaged public and I was bored. I figured that it had been a while since I was able to go out and have a good time with some pals, so I called up some soldier friends of mine and we went to the bar."

Hawkeye suddenly interrupted me with a shocked "Cap, you went and got _drunk_?" I turned my head around and saw that he was half out of his pants and shirtless. _Mission, mission, think about the mission. _I quickly looked away, fighting the flush creeping up my neck and replied "It was the first time I had some semblance of a vacation in three years… I may be a super soldier but I'm a man too." Clearing my throat and willing myself to forget about Hawkeye being mostly naked behind me, and continued the story.

"So, we all went to the bar and proceeded to get very, very drunk. Being soldiers, we of course needed to see who could drink the most… well after all the others were passed out around me, I just kept drinking. By the time the bar closed, I had drunk about… you know what, a lot. Let's just say a lot."

"Captain America, a competitive drinker… who would have thought." He said, teasingly and with a laugh.

"Hah, yeah. I was pretty good too. But anyways, I left the bar around three in the morning and just started walking. I had drunk enough that I was actually pretty… well, wasted. A girl, she couldn't have been more than twenty, found me and took me home with here. When I woke up, I was tied to a chair and surrounded by girls… in bikinis."

"Wait wait wait wait wait wait… You were kidnapped by bikini girls?" he asked, and I could hear the laughter in his voice. Smiling to myself, I replied in the affirmative and finished folding my pants and I put them with my shirt.

"So what happened next? Captain America orgy?" he asked, and I risked a glance to see him sitting, in his boxers, on the table and watching me. Resisting the urge to stare, I turned around and leaned against the table.

"Well, they tried to… but I wasn't exactly into it. After a few hours, Bucky burst in and rescued me. He never let me forget that." I smiled at the memory and reclined, trying to not think about what was sitting in front of me. _Yes, don't think about the lean muscles or how intriguing a contrast black boxers make against tanned skin. _I coughed and turned around again, looking on the table for the hospital gown. Not seeing it, I looked around the room and saw a counter had a drawer labeled "**GOWNS**" on it.

"Bucky was your… sidekick, right?" Hawkeye asked. I walked over to the cupboard and reached down to grab two gowns. "That must have been weird, fighting alongside…" he trailed off for a minute and when I turned around he continued, looking at the wall. "…a kid." _Danger zone, we are heading into a dangerous zone. Avoid and evade, this is not a good conversation here._

"…Yes, but we were more partners than 'hero and his sidekick'. Sort of like you and BW, we fought alongside each other and worked together. The first few missions were hell; I could barely focus since I spent a lot of time worrying about him. Once I realized that he was quite capable of taking care of himself, we became a great team. Here, put this on, your fan is waiting for us." I replied, trying not to think about Bucky and tossing the gown to Hawkeye. I avoided his gaze while I pulled on the gown and turned to leave. I felt him touch my arm and I turned my head to him in question. _Oh great, is he going to yell at me again now?_

"Cap, I didn't mean to bring up something painful, I'm sorry. I'm kind of terrible at this friend thing… Ignore when I'm being a jerk, ok?" he said suddenly and surprisingly earnestly. _I'm going to get whiplash from Hawkeye moods…_

"Of course Hotguy, I'll be happy to ignore it when you're being odd, not a problem. Seriously Hawkeye, I'm a big guy, I can handle it." I replied and turned to walk. Only a few seconds later did I notice my mistake. _Please have him not notice… Please let him not notice…_ I, somehow, kept my gait normal and acted like nothing happened. _Mouth, you and I are going to have to have a serious talk…_

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Oh ho ho, Captain is having some speech issues here... :D review please!


	6. Chapter 6

**I do not own the Avengers.**

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Hawkeye and I followed the nurse down the hall, with me hyper-aware of him because of my erm… slip of the tongue, walking in silence. Sneaking a glance at him, he looked pensive, like he was thinking something. _Shit, he heard me. Goddamnitt. He heard and now it's going to be awkward as hell. Damn and double damn. This is horrible. What do I do, besides cut out my tongue?_ Another nurse came took me and I followed him to a health checkup. Throughout the evaluation, I worried about whether or not Hawkeye heard me. _Ugh, stop being such a teenaged girl. Breathe, focus on the mission._ With that thought, I changed back into my costume and sat down on the bench while I waited for Hawkeye and the scientist who was going to brief us.

"Uh, Cap'n? You in there?" he said, waving his hand in front of my face. I flinched and smiled apologetically.

"Thanks, I was just thinking… Wondering what this mission will be like." I replied, working at keeping my voice even. _Relax, he wouldn't be so calm if he heard, right? He totally didn't notice. It's fine. We're all fine. Oh, the scientist is here… and he's speaking… and it looks like he's been speaking for a while… Focus, soldier. Mission first. _

"So, in short, you don't know what's going to happen to us, just that we will need to fight the dream state off? And how do we do that?" said Hawkeye, sounding rather irritated. _Eh, it's not like this is the first time I was at the mercy of some new scientific and untested discovery. _

"Well, you're both different. So, you'll experience different things. You'll be able to, in theory, will anything you require into existence but… It isn't something that I can explain. It's something that you will learn when you're in there." The nervous looking scientist said, rubbing his arms.

"The biggest problem will be getting to each other and to the agents; you'll have to find them. There are two of them, the third died due to injuries unrelated to the dream state. Agent Drake and Agent Kent remain in this dream state and they are the ones you need to retrieve. Here are their files." I took one and handed the other to Hawkeye and I looked mine over. I studied Agent Drake's picture, noting the dark hair and eyes, slim build, and average height; to make sure I could recognize him easily. Trading pictures with Hawkeye, I paid the same attention to Agent Kent; tall and dark, built like a football star. _So young, they look to be college aged…_

"They are quite important to a new, fledgling team that SHIELD is trying to build up. Sort of like a secondary Avengers." The scientist continued, trailing off.

"They're very young…" I said with a frown. I shook my head and then said "When do we go under?"

"Well, are you ready?" He asked, looking surprised that I was still willing. _This is my job, of course I'm ready. Think of the mission. _

"I'm ready. Hawkeye?" I asked, turning to him. He looked at me for a moment before nodding his agreement. _And off we go. Deep breaths soldier, time to be Captain America. _

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_AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
_

__I am so sorry about the slip up, I clicked on the wrong chapter because I was rushing to upload before my laptop died. Therefore, you got the wrong one. That's all my bad and you all have free reign to be incredibly mad at me.


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own the Avengers. A note from the previous chapter, I don't own Agent's Drake or Kent.**

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I sat, rather comfortable, in a reclining hospital bed. Looking across from me, I saw Hawkeye looking uncomfortable at being at the mercy of the doctors and scientists. _Or maybe because he is about to be a guinea pig for something for the first time… It's a fair worry. _I smiled reassuringly at him and his lips twitched as he nodded at me.

"I suppose this is all old-hat to you, having scientists play with you?" he asked, breathing a bit heavily as the doctor placed electrodes on his chest.

"Yea, but there's an old trick to staying calm." I said. At his curious, still highly anxious looking face, I continued. "Pretend they're all in their underwear." I finished, deadpan. As expected, he suddenly barked out a laugh.

"Isn't that for stage fright?" he asked, looking a bit less anxious. _Hm, the assassin either doesn't like crowds or touching... or is it that he doesn't like being so vulnerable, laying there surrounded and shirtless. Don't think about the shirtless bit. Damn, too late._

"Well, yes, but it's effective in all situations." I said back, distracted from the unpleasant sensation of cold electrodes on my chest. _I wonder if we can make electrodes that aren't cold…_

"Alright sirs, you are all set. Just lay down, close your eyes, and breathe." The head scientist said. _Here we go. _

"Hey, Hawkeye." I said suddenly.

"Yea, Cap'n?" he replied, raising his head and looking at me.

"Try to not die." I said, laying back down and shutting my eyes. I heard him snicker and say back "Right back at you, Cap."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
I hereby promise to double check every chapter before I post it and then double check to make sure that the right one was posted. Since I posted a chapter from the future, I'm going to post everything I have to that point, so those who've seen it aren't left in too much suspense.


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own the Avengers. **

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As I lay in my hospital bed, I listened to the sounds around me. _Quiet beeping from the various medical machines. Slow, even breaths from Hawkeye. Rustling as Hawkeye adjusts while trying to get more comfortable. Whirring from him adjusting the height of the bed. More whirring. Whirring. What the hell is he doing?_ I tilted my head and looked over to see Hawkeye raising, lowering, raising, lowering, and raising his bed. I watched him for a few moments before shaking my head and sitting up.

"Are you, by any chance, four?" I asked him. He looked up, startled, and dropped the bed remote.

Looking a bit sheepish, he replied "I can't get relaxed…" _I am so glad he was never a part of the military… he would be eaten alive. _

With a shake of my head I started "Hawk-" before he interrupted me saying "Clint."

"…What?" I asked.

"My name, it's Clint. Clint Barton, not Hawkeye. Hawkeye is for when I've got the costume and the bow… I'm lying half naked in a bed, connected to a shit-ton of machines which do who knows what and possibly about to lose my mind. Call me Clint." He answered bluntly. _Do I give him permission to use my name and risk losing my nickname? Damn..._

"Nice to meet you Clint, my name is Steve Rogers. How's your day going?" I asked with a big smile. _New mission: Make sure Hawkeye is actually able to start the real mission._

"Oh, it's been a real doozy Steve, but I think it'll end out ok. How about you?" He replied, rolling his eyes but with a small but still sad smile.

"Very exciting day, I'm off to visit a whole new world with a great friend!" I replied jovially and doing my best to sound like the most cheerfully annoying neighbor on the planet. Hawke-, no, Clint shook his head at me before looking quite serious.

"Cap, I need to know the truth… Do you really think that this will work right, that we'll get into 'Dream land' safely, save those kids, survive? I… I don't think I can handle losing myself again." Here he looked down into his lap and I wanted nothing more than to go over there and hug him. _Erm… hug him like a big, manly man hugs his slightly smaller but still very manly friend._

"Clint Barton, Hawkeye, I promise you. These machines WILL work, we WILL save these agents, and by god if you even CONSIDER dying I will take off my gloves and drag you out of there and shake you like a dog." I said, with as much seriousness as I could muster, before I smiled reassuringly. "Clint, you're _Hawkeye_, you had the balls to shoot an arrow at Loki, a supposed god, and the skill to hit him. I've seen you train, there's no way in hell I'd risk losing you through some science experiment." I finished, but now that he mentioned it… _What if Bruce messed up? _Shaking my head to clear it from those thoughts, I looked up at Hawkeye, for he most certainly was back, and saw him staring at me. We shared a gaze for a long, hard moment before he looked away and gave a quiet thank you.

"Hey, it's about time we beat up dream land. So shall I call your fan to fluff your pillow or are you alright now?" I asked teasingly.

"Oh, could you? Ask her for a cup of tea and the latest Cosmo while you're at it, I need some new beauty tips." He replied with a falsetto and an eye roll. "See you on the other side, Cap." And with that, he rolled onto his side and snuggled into the pillows. _He looks so cute lying there… Wait what?_ I tried to not be alarmed by that thought as I laid back down and shut my eyes. _Breathe in, breathe out… breathe in, out…_

I was in the woods, crouching behind a tree. Hawkeye nudged me and I leaned closer.

"The guy, the telepath, he's behind that copse of trees." He whispered to me. _If he's a telepath, shouldn't he be able to 'hear' us thinking about him?_

Suddenly he was in front of us. "Well of course I can hear you, you're not exactly quiet, Captain. He pulled out a gun and I tackled Hawkeye into the bush. The shot fired wide and I shoved Hawkeye.

"Run, don't be stupid!" I whispered loudly to him. I then turned the opposite direction and started to run. As I fled, dodging bullets, I prayed that Hawkeye was fast enough to escape. This was clearly an ambush. Suddenly I found myself in a clearing, with him in front of me. He wore a mask that covered his face; he appeared to be in his twenties.

"Captain, captain, captain, captain… I will win. No matter how fast you run, I will always get what I want." He told me.

I saw him raise the gun, I heard the gunshot and I reflexively fell to the ground. When I realized I was fine, I lifted my head to see a horrible sight… Hawkeye, Clint, lay I front of me, blood blossoming from his stomach. I looked quickly to see that the criminal had already vanished. Dropping to my knees, I cradled Clint's head and used my other hand to put pressure on his wound.

"Cap… I'm not gonna make it." He whispered to me, weakly.

"No, no. You're going to be fine. Just hold on, stay with me." I said, willing the tears to leave.

"No… Cap'n… I need you to listen, you gotta know something…." He said before a sudden fit of coughing.

"Hawkeye, Clint, no! Don't leave me…" I whispered back, horrified at what was happening. _I can't lose you… _

"Cap… Steve. I-" he started before coughing harder and suddenly he became still. I watched the light leave his eyes and I stared at him, the man I cared so much about, who died before he knew. I felt the hot barrel of a gun recently fired against the back of my head and I welcomed the pain.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, there's the bit that was accidentally posted (though now it's revised and merged with another chapter, but I think it makes a bit more sense now. Before you review this one, read the next chapter... If somethings unclear, PM me or review. I feel like Captain is waaaay OOC, ignoring the part where he's pretending to be cheerful, is he alright?


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own the Avengers.**

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The first thing I noticed was that I was alive. The second thing was that there was a very warm body snuggled into me. The third thing was… that it was Hawkeye I was holding. He was fast asleep and I carefully inched away and sat up and tried to quell the rebellious thoughts telling me to lie back down, hold him, stay. What happened? _My brain feels so fuzzy… Where am I? _I looked around the room and saw that it was quite small. There was a large bed, which Hawkeye and I were on, a small kitchenette with a two-person table, and that was it. There was a doorway leading to another room that I could see was a bathroom. _What happened…? Last thing I remember, a mission… something about saving two kids… didn't we die?_

As I was trying to remember, I felt a body press into my back. Automatically leaning into it, I suddenly tensed when I remembered who it was in the bed with me.

"Hawke-" I started, turning my head to ask him what he could remember when he suddenly pulled my chin and kissed me. _What is he… Wow._ Not thinking, I kissed back for… a while… before realizing what was happening and pulling back. He turned his head and started nuzzling my neck and I tried to reroute my brain._ What. Is. Going. On. ?. _

"Hawkeye. Clint. Oh that feels… wait, stop. Let go." I said, trying halfheartedly to pull away from him. _He started it… but she's my best friend… _"You don't want to do this, you and BW remember?"

He released my neck and looked at me confusedly. "What about me and Natasha, why would she care what I do with my husband?"

"…Husband?" I replied. _Woah, woah, woah. Married?_

"Yea, for the past year? Love, are you alright?" he looked at me with worried eyes, taking my hand and moving to sit next to me.

"The last thing I remember is… a mission… you died, I died… but it all feels so far away…" I said, my voice trailing.

"We haven't been on a mission for years and we're clearly alive. Though, this could be heaven." He said with a smile, before climbing into my lap. "It was just a dream, let it go… Forget about it." He whispered into my ear and I suppressed a shiver. _It wouldn't be so bad to just give in… No, something isn't right here._

"Haw- AH" I started to argue again but was interrupted by him biting my ear sharply, causing me to yelp.

"I'm not Hawkeye, I'm Clint Rogers. Steve, what is wrong? You have an odd dream and suddenly you're back to… Captain America, leader of the Avengers." He said irritated. "You're my husband. We're married. We live together in this small house, more of a cabin honestly, on an island given to us by Fury after we caught that telepath and retired. We decided to go off the grid and run a small farm. You named a chicken after Tony and thought it was hilarious that she actually was a rooster. This is our life. Why are you upsetting that?"

"But I don't remember any of that." I replied. "And… I am Captain America, leader of the Avengers. I wouldn't leave the Avengers; we're needed to keep the world safe." _Though the chicken thing is entirely possible._

"We retired because you almost died during the fight with the telepath. I thought it was too dangerous and you agreed. Tony runs the team now. They world hasn't ended yet, so clearly they have got it handled." He said back, getting off my lap and standing in front of me, arms crossed.

"But we didn't fight the telepath; we went to save those kids…" I said confused. _That feels important… Why did we need to save the kids…? And what kids?_

"What kids?" asked Clint sharply. "We fought the telepath and you almost died. No children involved."

"No… we were supposed to save kids… but some of the team went to fight the telepath… but where did we go?" I frowned. Clint threw his hands in the air and walked away from me.

"Since this is clearly more important to you than our life, I'm going to go take a shower. It'd be great if you became my husband again when I come back." He said angrily and going into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. The urge to follow him was overwhelming but I resisted it. _Ok, Hawkeye is normally bipolar but he was never a PMSing woman… so what the hell is this? Focus soldier, the kids and the telepath are key… plus that dream… We died. Wait, dream… the kids... Dreamland! _I jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom.

"Hawkeye, we must be in the dr-" I started before I suddenly collapsed to the ground, an arrow through my shoulder.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, for those who are confused, the part in the previous chapter (with Hawkeye and Cap dying), that was a "dream" and a part of the dream world, the captain worked through it and started a new dream (where he and Hawkeye were married). Does that make sense? How is it?


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own Avengers.**

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I lay on the ground, breathing heavily. _What the hell? _I looked at my shoulder to see an arrow sticking out of it. _Dreamstate, remember. I can will things. Come on shield, I need you. _I heard footsteps and I saw Hawkeye, dressed in full costume and armed, walk over to me. He had an arrow notched and pointed directly at my face. I gulped. _He must be dreaming… But why would he attack me in a dream?_

"You married ME!" He shouted suddenly, lowering the bow in favor of kicking me in the ribs. I winced but couldn't roll over because of the arrow.

"You chose ME!" he continued, with another kick. I shut my eyes. _Breathe in and out. Shield. Circle. Red, white, and blue. Focus._

"I won't let Tony have you!" He screamed suddenly, raising the arrow again and pointing it at me. "Even if it means I can't!" _Solid. Remember the weight of it on your arm, the way it feels... _Hawkeye loosed the arrow and it ricocheted into the bed. I opened my eyes to see that I now had my shield. _Success._ _Wait, I can't beat up Hawkeye!_ He went to kick me again and I grabbed his foot. He attempted to jerk out of my grip but I pulled down as hard as I could, without hurting him, and he fell on top of me. The fall onto my shield winded him and I punched him in the face, just hard enough to knock him out cold. _And give him one terrible headache. Shit, now I feel all guilty…_ With a groan, I shoved him off me and carefully got up. Looking at him, I figured he would be out long enough for me to de-arrow my arm before I would have to tie him to a chair. _He is… not going to like that. At all. _

A half an hour later, I had Hawkeye tied to one of the dining room chairs with the bed sheets, which I tested to make sure wouldn't break. I had removed the arrow and bandaged my arm, but apparently I can't will flesh to mend. Now I was just waiting for Hawkeye to come to. _I wonder what he meant by letting Stark have me… And he has fallen quite deeply into this dream... Wait, is this even Hawkeye?_ I sat straight up, suddenly struck, and worried, by this idea. _That scientist said that the most difficult part would be finding each other… What if this Hawkeye isn't actually Hawkeye, just a creation of my dream, like the telepath? _I heard a groan and turned my head to stare at my prisoner. _Who are you?_

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

You should review, because a review (made by eevee4ever2004) broke my writer's block and inspired the next chapter. It might have been DAYS before I uploaded again due to lack of inspiration. Also, because had SiriusBlackfan2 not reviewed, I wouldn't have noticed a serious mistake. Plus, I love reviews. So, you should review! :D


	11. Chapter 11

**I don't own the Avengers.**

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I watched this Hawkeye shift and slowly start to come around. _How to figure out if this is the real Hawkeye or just a figment of my imagination? _

"Engh… What... what happened?" He said, groaning as he woke up. He lifted his head and his eye slowly focused on me. _That pitiful look will be my undoing… I can't interrogate him! God I'm screwed if he ever goes rogue, not that he would._

"You're awake now, good." I said, putting on my I-am-the-captain-you-will-OBEY voice. "Now, you're going to answer a few-" I started, turning fully towards him before I felt a familiar touch on my arm. Glancing over, I saw Hawkeye looking at me with an amused expression.

"Wow, cap. What did 'I' do to deserve that tone and those ropes? And ouch, the lump on the head." He asked, gesturing towards the captive Hawkeye. _Oh good, two of them is always better. _

"…Hawkeye?" I asked, staring at him. _He looks like Hawkeye, but so does the one who's tied up… they're both identical, save for one rather large bruise… _The captive Hawkeye stared at Hawkeye. _That is… really confusing… Alright, from now on, captive Hawkeye is A and the new one is B. _

"In the dream-state flesh." he replied, walking away from me to look around the house. _Ok, if this is the real Hawkeye, please let him not question why there is only one bed…_

"If you're the real one, you wouldn't mind me asking a few questions to verify that." I said, making a small gesture to the chair. "Take a seat next to your twin." He shook his head and gave a small smile as he sat down.

"Never change, Cap." He said, relaxing in the chair. With a wince, he said "But maybe change your interior decorator, these chairs are crap. Ugly and uncomfortable…"

Rubbing my face for a moment, I then stared at the two Hawkeyes. _Alright, no physical differences. Hawkeye A could be the real one, but only if he were dreaming… and dreaming that we were married. The scientist said that it would hit us differently, so maybe he fell in so deep, he couldn't get out? No, I doubt that. Plus, why would he dream that we were married? Hawkeye B makes much more sense, but I'm not sure… He could be a further dream, how do I tell?_ Suddenly, Hawkeye A went rabid.

"WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DID YOU COME FROM, CAP IS-" he started screaming and, panicking a bit, I covered his mouth with my hand. _Hawkeye can NOT, not EVER, find out about this dream… _He ranted against my palm so I pinched his nose shut and waited for him to pass out. All the while, Hawkeye B watched me with a sort of detached amusement and I looked away awkwardly. _This can now go down in history as Captain America's most awkward moment. No, wait, that title belongs to the "hotguy" slip. _

"I'm not sure how I feel about how easily you just did that, Cap. No hesitation; just choked me out cold." He said, shaking his head. "Plus, watching you strangle me was just… weird."

"If it helps, I just had to deal with you shooting me with an arrow and attempting to kill me." I pointed out, wiping saliva off my hand onto Hawkeye A's shirt. _This 'Hawkeye A' 'Hawkeye B' shit is going to give me such a headache… _

"Well, then you know that Sleeping Beauty over here isn't me, if I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead." He replied, sitting forward. "So Cap'n, how are you planning on working out if I'm a dream or real?"

I frowned and shook my head. "No clue, but how do you know that I'm real?"

"Well, I already got out of my subconscious, this isn't my dream. I think." Here he tilted his head and looked contemplative. "How do we ever know when we're awake? Pain doesn't work, I bet that arrow stung like a bitch."

"Well, in the real world, I couldn't call my shield to me or will it into existence." I said back, rubbing my forehead. _Hawkeye wasn't this philosophical before…_

"But what if that was the dream and this is the real world? I rather like that idea. This place is… much nicer than the real world." Here I stared at him.

"You… he… Hawkeye A tried to kill me? I died already once here, and then he shot me… Yet this is nicer?" _Either he's real and the dreamstate made him insane or he's another dream Hawkeye…_

"Exactly… you died, yet here you are. There are no true deaths… you have unlimited retries. Make the wrong decision, say the wrong thing, you can just restart… Tell me that you can't see the appeal of that." He looked at me earnestly.

"But we need to save those kids… The world needs us."

He looked annoyed now, and replied "Save the kids from what exactly? From living their dreams? The world can take care of itself. I'll help you get to the kids, if you decide that I'm real, but I won't force them out. It's their choice; personally, I wouldn't blame them for staying. Now ask your questions, so we can get going. Or not, your choice." _He wants to stay…. Here? Was the real world so bad? And how to figure out if he's real… and if he is real, how to convince him to return with me…_

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Well, the Captain has quite a conundrum. And I have a headache, that Hawkeye A & B thing was aggravating. But how am I doing? What do you think? What do you _feel_? Who's real, A or B? Hmmmm?


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own Avengers. Still. Sigh.**

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"So, Cap, do you actually _have_ any questions for me, or are you trying to read my mind?" asked Hawkeye offhandedly, pulling an arrow out of his quiver and running his finger over it. _The real Hawkeye checked his arrows like that all the time.. If I ask Hawkeye B a question that I know the answer to, wouldn't my dream supply that answer? But Hawkeye A didn't know about the kids we need to save, unless he was just denying it… He wanted me to stay with him, in this dream, so maybe that's what the dreamstate is all about, convincing you to stay… making Hawkeye B either a dream to convince me OR the real Hawkeye who was convinced… So I need to ask a question that I don't know the answer to..?_

"Are you and BW dating?" I asked suddenly. Hawkeye looked up, startled, before laughing.

"No, we're just friends. And I thought she was a lesbian… Why?" he replied. _Wait… I have no way of verifying that they really aren't dating.. Damn and double damn, how the hell do I tell if this one is real…?_

"I'm trying to figure out if you're real, except if I ask you a question that I know the answer to, the dreamstate would just use that answer. But since I have no way of finding out if that is true…" I trailed off, resting my head on my hands. _Best part of 1945, the rules were simple. Shoot the guy shooting at you… I miss that. _

"Well, you don't know all that much about me… How about I just ramble until you decide my realness?" offered Hawkeye.

"The same problem is there… I have no way of checking the information out. I need something that would be unique to the real Hawkeye…" I replied tiredly.

"Hmm, that's a real problem, Cap."

"Yes, yes it is." I rubbed my forehead and slapped the back of my neck. _Think, soldier. Consider everything he's said and done…. BW isn't a lesbian._ "Wait, did you say that you thought BW was gay?" _Can dreams lie? Or trick someone? Denial is kind of like lying, so probably.._

"Isn't she?"

"No, she's straight." I replied. _Despite what he says, I can take him again, but for right now this will have to be proof enough. I have no way of telling how much time has passed since we entered the dreamstate; we need to save those kids._ I stood up and offered my hand to him. "Come on, we've got some kids to save. Hey, how did you get yourself into my dream anyways?"

"It's hard to explain… I sort of willed myself there. I focused on your face and thought about how much I needed to meet up with you." He replied, taking my hand and getting up. "Glad to know that you think I'm real, it's a real ego-boost." I smiled a tight, frustrated smile and he clapped my shoulder.

"Agent Drake first, might as well be alphabetical." I said. "I don't think it's a good idea to split up." After he nodded I closed my eyes and focused on a twenty year old boy, small of stature and wiry. I thought of how much I needed to go and save him and I felt a sort of heavy mist surround me. Just before it covered me, I heard a light, teasing voice say something.

"Hey, before you go, why was there only one bed?"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Six Flags is painful if you were shoes that are too small... ouch... Oh, right, I should be talking about this chapter. So, are we any closer to deciding who's real? Did Captain make the wrong choice? Am I as OOC as I feel like I am?


	13. Chapter 13

**I don't own the Avengers, James Barnes, or the majority of this scene. I may have mangled it a bit, sorry for you diehard Captain America fans who've read the comics, I tried to get most of the facts straight...**

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I opted to ignore Hawkeye's comment and looked around with a frown. _Why would Agent Drake dream of an empty airbase? Wait… I know this place. _I looked around, wondering why I suddenly had the urge to run… or possibly throw up. _I feel… ill. Where do I know this place from…? Where's Hawkeye?_

"Steve! This way!" I heard a familiar voice call out. _Why do I know this place…? That isn't Hawkeye's voice, why am I following it?_ And indeed I was, once I heard the voice I ran towards it, to see a deceptively young-looking man standing on the loading ramp of a plane. _Not… no. _

"Steve, I found the bomb! I think I can defuse it!" He said, flashing me a relieved smile. I couldn't reply, my voice was strangled as I stared at this man. _Floppy black hair, always in his eyes… Small for his age, perfect to hold close at night… Still pale, despite the hours we spent in the sun._

"That's great, but you need to hurry! The director gave the ten minute mark already; you have maybe five of those minutes left." I heard myself say. _No, no, stop him! Why can't I move?_ I clapped his shoulder and he looked at me for a moment with a smile I knew well. Rolling my eye at his odd moments for wanting affection, a told him "Not now, later... at home. Where's the bomb?" He rolled his eyes and ignored me, as always, darting forward to peck at my lips.

"For good luck." He explained, shifting his hair out of his eyes, as always. He turned to show me where the bomb was, when suddenly the plane rocked.

"Steve, she's taking off!" I shoved him inside and hit the button that shut the boarding ramp.

"Where's the bomb?" I asked him. _Don't let him follow you._

"On the top of the plane, we have to hurry." He replied. "I studied the schematics… there should be an opening, right… over… here!" he pointed to a ladder where there was a small emergency hatch. I climbed the ladder and told him to stay put. I reached the top of the plane and immediately dropped to hug it; the winds were too strong to stand. I felt a small hand poke my thigh and I looked back to see an impish smile and a wave to get me to move. _Shut the hatch, don't let him up!_

"You can't defuse that bomb; you can barely work a toaster. Help me up. And hold the hatch open, there's no way to open it from the outside." He said reasonably. _Don't believe him, toss him back in!_ I helped him up. He crawled up to the top of the nose, where the bomb was.

"Oh, this will be easy!" He shouted to me. _He's lying!_

"Great! Hurry up before I punish you for your disobedience." I replied. I heard my walkie-talkie crackle and the director's voice.

"Captain, you have ten seconds left."

"Understood." I said back to him. I shouted up the time, he said he could finish. I held the hatch open. _Get him you idiot! NOW! He's too close!_

"Steve, last wire!" he shouted. _NOnonononononono, don't cut it stop him WHY AM I SEEING THIS, WHY CAN'T I MOVE OH GO-_

"I love you, Steve!" he shouted and then everything was white.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, first off: this isn't a mistake posting, it will make more sense in the next chapter, and even more sense in the chapter after that. Secondly, anybody remember who this unnamed character's name is? I promise you've seen it before! Also, I apologize for the angst... I didn't know I was going to be writing angst until I sat down and this came up.


	14. Chapter 14

**I don't own Avengers or Bucky/James Barnes or Baron Zemo. Hell, I barely know who Baron Zemo is (some bad guy in the Red Skull (Captain America's main enemy in 1945))**

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I lay on the beach, staring at the sky, squinting at the sun. I sat straight up and stared at my hands. I was covered in blood. I looked around, blood was covering me yet not a drop was on the sand. _Oh god, Bucky, my Bucky… It's all my fault, why didn't I stop you, oh god… _I brought my knees to my chest and hugged them tight, rocking myself. _Bucky… _Memories flittered by, hundreds of them. _When you walked in on me changing and discovered that I was Captain America and demanded to join me. When you kissed me, on purpose, not like the CPR incident… The first time you snuck into my bed… you blushed like.. Well, like a virgin… But I blushed then too. The candles and wine you smuggled in for our first anniversary… My proposal two years later, not that we could actually wed but we switched dog-tags… Because we knew that if the other died, we would die too. _I touched my chest, feeling for the tags that I still wore, the ones that everyone assumed were mine. _But mine are buried with my heart. _I heard a sob and then realized it was me. I sat there, letting the sobs wrack through my body and staring at the blood on my hands. _My fault…_

After an indeterminate amount of time, I felt the sobs subside and I hugged myself tighter. I felt a presence at my back but I didn't turn.

"If you're going to kill me, kindly do it quickly. I won't stop you." I said dully, not caring anymore. _Why would I, Bucky is gone…_

"Why would I kill you, Steve?" asked that voice, that damned voice, as that equally damned man walked forward to sit next to me.

"Avenging your own death, I suppose." I replied, not looking, not wanting to know if Bucky was there or not; knowing that either way I couldn't deal with it.

"You're the Avenger, not me. Steve, look at me." When I didn't respond, he reached out to touch me and I threw myself away from him and standing up.

"DON'T TOUCH ME; CAN'T YOU SEE I'M COVERED IN YOUR BLOOD? IT'S MY FAULT YOU DIED…. MINE!" I screamed enraged. He didn't seem at all fazed by it, instead walking towards me. He touched my shoulder and I fell into him. His slight frame should have buckled to my heavier weight but he didn't even stumble. He just held me close and I started crying again, silent grieving tears.

"Can't… can't you see the blood, Bucky? It's my fault you died; you can't forgive me for that…" He pulled his head back and forced me to look at him. He quietly brushed away my tears and kissed me lightly.

"There is nothing to forgive, Steve." He then rested his head against my chest for a moment, before taking my hand and walking.

"But…" I started again, nonetheless squeezing his hand probably too a bit too hard.

"No buts, now sit." He ordered, gently pushing me into a bench. I didn't bother to question how we got to this side of the beach so quickly. He sat next to me and I immediately pulled him closer and held him to me, tight.

"My death was not your fault, in any way, shape, or form you can come up with. It was entirely the fault of Baron Zemo. Or my own, I cut the wrong wire… and I never told you that I was colorblind." He said, taking my hand and gently stroking it, tracing the lines.

"You… what?" I replied.

"I couldn't see the colors. It was my own fault and the fault of Baron Zemo, not yours. I should have told you, but then l wouldn't have been authorized to go on that mission, or any of the others." He kissed my palm and held it to his cheek.

"I… I don't understand… I saw your health charts."

"They didn't check for colorblindness back then. Or now, I'm not sure if they changed it."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I had loved you from when I was fifteen and we were just friends. Even though I knew you wouldn't even think of me romantically until I was eighteen and only if you were also gay. When I found out you were Captain America, it just clicked… the perfect way to be constantly around you." He leaned against me and looked up at me with adoration in his eyes. "And it worked, I accidentally give unneeded CPR after a mission went south and you finally realize that I am incredibly adorable."

"But… why risk your life, you could have just done as you did before you found out, be perpetually where I am, memorize my schedule. Hell, you knew my schedule better than I did." _He risked his life, daily, just to be with me… I don't deserve that… I got him killed. _

"There were still weeks and weeks that you were off on mission or recovering. What would I do if you died?" _He was only fifteen… so innocent, I had no right to take that._

"You would have moved on." I replied. "You were… are… young, they were plenty of other young men you could have subtly been with." _What were we, what was I thinking?_

"Oh, because you've done such a great job moving on? It's alright to be gay now, well it isn't illegal anymore at least, yet you have not so much kissed another guy or been on a date." He replied smartly, pulling away from me.

"I love _you_ though…" I said back, trying unsuccessfully to bring him closer. _When did he get stronger than me, I'm the super soldier…_ His eyes softened, but he released me completely and stood up.

"And I'm dead, Steve. You need to let me go, I can't move on until you do.. and you can't move on either." He shook his head sadly and I stood up. I took a step towards him and he took one back. _No.. Bucky, I need you…_

"How can I let you go when it was MY fault you died?" I said back, fighting the tears again. His eyes were suddenly ablaze with anger and he tackled me. He sat on my chest and I stared up at him.

"It is NOT your fault, Steve Rogers." He leaned forward and brought our faces close together, our noses a hair's breadth from touching. "And you will not feel guilty over it any longer." He stared into my eyes and I could smell the sweet wintergreen mint of his toothpaste. I said nothing, I just leaned forward and kissed him. He kissed back, but only for a moment before pulling back, his eyes awash with sadness. He got off of me and reached out his hand; I took it and he pulled me into a hug.

"Steve, I have to go now. I have things I need to do and people to see… and so do you. Before I go, I need you to promise me one thing."

"Anything, Bucky." I said back. _I would do anything for you._

"Stop fighting yourself, let yourself be happy. Find someone who makes you happy and please… let me go." He looked at me, his entire expression one of love. _Anything but that Bucky!_ He seemed to understand my dilemma and continued. "I want you to; I want you to fall in love again. James 'Bucky' Barnes doesn't exist anymore, Steve Rogers does. I gave my life, fully knowing, in the hopes that you would live… and you did. So don't make me a pointless martyr, live. Let me be at peace." At that, he pulled me into one last embrace and a brief, bittersweet kiss. He then gave me one last, long look, one tear shining a path down his face, before walking away. Every step away from me, he became more and more misty. I stared at his back long after he faded before sliding to my knees on the damp sand. I looked at my hands once more and found that they were tan and scarred, but bloodless. I laughed a mirthless laugh and knelt there, just breathing in the ocean air.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:  
Awww, isn't Bucky sweet? Ok, he's not actually colorblind in any canon (or at least none that I've seen), but I decided that it made more sense if he was. Now, show of hands: who thought that Chapter two was going to be the only time you saw Bucky? ...Cause I totally thought that. This story has changed a bit from my plans.. but hey, it's a lot more fun this way. It's a lot longer. But we will, eventually, get there. So, how am I doing?


	15. Chapter 15

**I still don't own the Avengers.**

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After a while, I stood back up. I shook my head. _Focus soldier, back to the mission.. _I swallowed passed the lump in my throat and closed my eyes. _Alright, when I thought about Agent Drake it should have taken me to him, but instead it took me to… to Bucky. Hawkeye B said that all I needed to do was think about the person's face and how I needed to see them, though I suppose I needed to see Bucky. Now, do I try again or should I find Hawkeye B first? If he did as I told him to, 50/50 shot there, he should already be with Drake, either way I'll wind up where I need to be. To Hawkeye then…_

I took a deep breath again and stretched. I still felt shaky so I sat down on the bench and tried to push down the fresh memories so I could work. _Breathe in, breathe out… Hawkeye, Clint Barton. Sandy brown hair with blue eyes that could freeze you or set you aflame. I need to find him. _I focused on everything I knew about him and I felt the mist gathering around myself. Suddenly I heard the unmistakable twang of a bow and I hit the floor. _I am getting really tired of him shooting at me. _I looked up to see Hawkeye staring at me in shock, holding his bow.

"Cap'n, is that you? Are you alright?" he asked, panicked worry in his eyes.

"Yes, it's me. And of course I'm alright, I know how to dodge an arrow." I replied, standing up.

"You should be bleeding… I shot you…" said Hawkeye so quietly, I could barely hear him. I wondered what he was talking about as I brushed the ash off me. _Ash?_ I looked at Hawkeye questioningly, showing him my ash-covered hand and he silently pointed behind me and I turned to see Avengers Tower burning and Loki was at the top. After staring for a few minutes, I turned to Hawkeye.

"Didn't we send him back to Asgard?" I asked, confused. _Thor promised that he would never return… Damn Asgardians._ Hawkeye looked away and mumbled something. When he saw that I didn't hear him he spoke louder.

"He… He used me again. Apparently, once a Loki minion, always a Loki minion. He can remote-access me at any time and take over. He made me… made me capture and torture Thor to free him." He looked away from me. "When he released me, I told Tony and they kicked me I was out because I'm a liability. In fact, I was told that if I got near any of them again they'd give me to SHIELD on the spot… or kill me." _Oh… I must be in another dream. Or in his. This is confusing. Debriefing after this mission should be fun._ "You should go now… I don't want to hurt you. Not again, especially now that I know you survived." _His dream then… Probably. Unless I'm dreaming that I'm in his dream..? Ugh. I understand what Bruce meant about it being a danger… This is enough to drive me crazy. _I shook my head and reached out my hand to him. He hesitated and then took it.

"Hawkeye, you're my comrade, friend, and teammate. I would never turn my back on you, I promise." I squeezed his hand in mine and smiled at him as I shook it, sealing the promise. He shook his head and started to speak but stopped when I frowned. "No, you are and I will fight alongside you, always." He looked away from me quickly and suddenly, jumped forward and hugged me. Surprised, I hugged back and just as fast he released me and stepped away.

"Alright Cap, what's the plan?" He asked, clearly trying to ignore the blush in his cheeks. I took his hand and made a gesture to be quiet, he nodded seriously and I led him away from the tower. After we were far enough away, I turned to him and he looked at me confused.

"Cap, why are we going _away_ from the tower, shouldn't we be going after Loki?" he asked.

"If he were real, yes. But do you remember anything about a telepath, a mission, dreamland…?" I asked him, watching him. A flicker of recognition went through his eyes and he frowned.

"Something… Something about kids. We needed to save them from a telepath... Wait, that means we're in the dreamland _right now_! That explains how all that happened and yet at the same time, didn't… So none of this is real? How do I know if you're real, you could be a figment of the dream…" he stared at me. _He gets right to the tough questions._

"I had a similar problem… I met two of you, well technically three but I didn't get a chance to really talk to the first one, and I tried to figure out how to tell…" He watched me and I saw him fingering his bow. _Not that I blame him, but damn do I hope he doesn't shoot me again… _"I'm not even sure you're real, honestly. Because you could be _my_ dream, I could be dreaming that I found you in your dream. Also, if you decide I'm not real, please don't shoot me; I'll just leave you alone… I've already been shot today." When I said that, he turned away from me and looked pained.

"I can't actually shoot you so it's a moot point… Ok, so if this is my dream, I already met the dream Captain, and… well... You're not him." He looked uncomfortable and didn't meet my gaze. "So, you might be real."

"Yes, but I also met two of you in one dream. They were definitely two different yous as I saw them side by side… Identical." I replied, sitting on the ground. _This is decidedly odd. _

"How did you decide which me to believe then?" he asked, looking more and more unsure as this conversation went on, sitting down next to me.

"Well, I asked you a question that I didn't know the answer to." _I have a feeling… Something here is different than in the other dreamstates…_

"What was the question?"

"Ah… I asked if you and BW were dating. You said no, that she was a lesbian." I replied distractedly. I looked around, trying to figure out what was different.

"Well… she is though…?" he replied, confused.

"No, she's straight." I said back. "Just a really good actress, those 'girlfriends' of hers were other various projects." He frowned and shook his head.

"I dunno Cap, I feel like she's at least bi…" he said back. "She was really happy with those girls." I looked at him. _Is he what's different, is this the real Hawkeye? Something is more... solid here._

"She told me herself that she was straight." I said, watching him. I saw understanding dawn in his eyes.

"She probably thinks your homophobic… you know, 1945 wasn't exactly a gay-friendly environment… You aren't homophobic, right?" he replied, looking a tad nervous.

"Not in the least." I replied, deciding. "I think you're real."

"Well, I'm a little bit less sure… How are you not homophobic, wasn't it all homophobia everywhere back then, when you were growing up?" he said back. I hesitated, he narrowed his eyes. _Tell him, don't tell him… Bucky said to live and I can't do that while hiding. He's seems ok about BW's sexuality…_

"It'd be rather hypocritical of me to be homophobic." I said finally. He stared at me in shock and I looked around, pretending to be nonchalant. "Now-" I started before he interrupted me.

"Uh, that is incredibly impolite of me to ask and I'm really sorry but didyoujustsayyouweregay?" He asked, rather fast. I stared at him.

"Was that English?" I said finally. He tinged pink a bit and then repeated the question.

"Did you just say you were gay?" _Ah. Well, it's better than him hating me… maybe._ I nodded at him.

"Is that a problem?" I asked and he vehemently shook his head.

"No, not at all. Uh, what were you saying?" He looked rather uncomfortable and I frowned. _If he's ok with it, why is he so awkward? And why does it hurt so badly that he's clearly uncomfortable?_ I shook it off, ignoring the pain, and continued my thought.

"Now, if we've established that we are both, most likely, real, we still need to save those kids and get out of here before we go lose our minds from how absurdly complicated everything is."

"Alright, so shall we each take an Agent or go together?" Hawkeye asked. I considered both ideas. _Together is better strategy wise because I'll have backup in a fight… But the dreamworld doesn't seem to care what I want to do. So should we just go after an Agent separately and leave separately? If we go alone, then I can be sure that any Hawkeyes aren't real (probably) and he can be sure about any of me… We'll just have to leave this dreamland alone and hope the other gets out… Just one worry left. If Hawkeye B really was the real Hawkeye, he would stay here…_

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Poor Captain... finally gets to tell someone (besides Bucky) that he's gay and Hawkeye goes all awkward. But, is this third Hawkeye the real one, or do you think A or B is real? And what is going on the with those Agents (or kids as the boys keep calling them?) How shall Hawkeye and Cap escape such a convoluted, complicated realm as the dreamworld?

SIDE NOTE: I know that you guys have probably gotten used to the fast updates (I give them to you as soon as I write them) but I will unfortunately be busy this weekend... I'll do my best but I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do on Friday and Saturday. Sunday I should be back though. But that's why I'm giving you three updates, with two long ones, right now...

FURTHER NOTE: The Bucky-Angst really is over now though, I'l do my best to cut it out on the angst and bring back the funny, the story just ran off on me...

FINAL NOTE: This is officially the longest note I've written... Hmm. Cool. Well, anyways, please review! and thanks so much to everyone who already has :D

NEW NOTE (12/6): Wow Ember.. How I missed that I don't know. Thanks, good eye catching that one!


	16. Chapter 16

**I don't own Drake or Kent or Avengers.**

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"Alright, I will go to Agent Drake. You will go after Kent. That way, you'll know that any Captains are probably not me. You'll get there by envisioning his face and focusing on how much you need to reach him. Alright?" I said, looking at him. He nodded and then he reached out his hand. When I grasped it, he pulled me into a hug again. _I don't recall him being this huggy… then again, after this anyone would want the comfort of a good friend. _He muttered an apology before releasing me, then shutting his eyes and I watched the mist swirl around him. I touched his shoulder and said quickly, before he disappeared.

"If you ever need anything, just come to me. I don't mind." His eyes didn't open but he nodded sharply and I saw his blush deepen. I smiled to myself and shut my own eyes. Thinking about Agent Drake, I hoped that this time I would actually make it to him.

I opened my eyes to see a young man of small stature and wiry build standing in front of me. He stared at me suspiciously and I raised my hands in a sign of peace.

"Agent Drake? I'm Captain America." I said to him and his eyebrows rose.

"Captain America? What are you doing in my house?" He asked me and I looked around. We were, indeed, in a house. _Hmm… How to explain this whole dreamstate thing?_

"Alright, Agent Drake… What's the last thing you remember about a telepath?" I asked. "And could we possibly sit down, this is a long conversation." _It'd be brilliant if he just believed me immediately… He probably won't but it would be nice…_

After about half an hour of me explaining, him questioning, more explanations, and then finally him admitting that things here were a bit odd, we sat in his living room.

"Ok, so Agent Kent and I are in here because a telepath stuck me in a dreamstate. You came here, with Hawkeye, to save Kent and me. How do we get out?" he asked and I shook my head.

"Well, I got out of my dream and into yours by shutting my eyes and thinking about how much I needed to get to you. So, probably the same way." I replied hoping that it was true. He nodded and then frowned.

"This seems too easy…" He started and I groaned. _Never, ever say that…_ He looked at me curiously.

"Well, every time I tried to leave, I faced my nightmares. It seems that the dreamstate very much wants you to stay. So you're going to be facing whatever skeletons you have in your closet." He looked suddenly afraid. _I don't blame you kid, SHIELD agents all have very… odd backstories. _

"Can… can you stay with me then?" He said in a small voice. _Damn SHIELD… He's way too young. _

"Of course I will; I would never leave a comrade-in-arms to fight alone." He smiled thankfully and I smiled back. _Hopefully Hawkeye is doing as well as I am…_

"Alright, time to go now." I told him, gesturing for him to start. He nodded, still nervous, and he shut his eyes. I reached out and touched his forearm, to remind him that he was not alone. I watched mist slowly and jerkily form and pull around him. Suddenly he started crying and the mist began to fade. _Must be some sort of him-only dream…_

"Agent Drake, relax. Focus, whatever your facing is just a dream. Think about home, think about what's real in your life. Do you have a partner? Think about them. Focus, soldier!" I told him, touching his arm again. The mist came back in clumps and he faded from my sight. After a few more moments, he was gone.

I sat there for a few moments, wondering if he had managed to do it, because as Agent Drake said… This was oddly simple. _There's no way to know on this end... I'll just have to go._ I wondered then what I would face..._ I already faced my demons… Maybe the dreamstate is be done with me. Well, now to go back to reality… And hope that Hawkeye escaped. _

With a frown, I shook my head. _No use worrying over that… Hawkeye will get Agent Kent or the doc and scientists will just send me back in._ At that thought, I shuddered. _And I'll do it all over again… Ugh._

I sat up straighter on the couch and suddenly I noticed mist already forming at the edge…. _Wait, I'm in Agent Drake's dream and he left… the dream is closing!_ I quickly shut my eyes and focused on the Avengers tower, on my hospital bed, on how much I wanted to get out. I felt the now familiar cold, slick feeling of gathering mist. Suddenly, I heard voices.

"_You'll never get out you know." _I shook my head. I thought of home.

"_And even if you did, what's out there for you?" _I thought about Hawkeye, his face and his jokes. BW and her friendship. The Avengers and our mission.

"_Bucky is gone." _I felt that last kiss again, the tears that came with it.

"_Hawkeye knows you're gay and clearly is not ok with it." _I remembered how awkward he got when I told him… the odd flash of pain in my stomach.

"_He'll probably tell the others…" _Thor and Bruce looking at me in disgust, Stark constantly flirting… BW refusing to talk to me. Hawkeye avoiding me. The public's hatred.

"_Stark is the only one who wants you." _Images of Stark and his Vaseline, his swaying hips and 'seductive' wiles.

"_Not that you'll get out, anyways." _Bucky, dying. Hawkeye, dying. Me, dying.

"_You could have whatever you wanted in here…"_ Bucky and I together.

"NO" I screamed. _Bucky is gone but I will live… And I can live with that. It wasn't my fault he died. _

"_Would you prefer someone else… Someone more like... him?" _Hawkeye kissing me, Hawkeye and I married. Hawkeye and I in bed…

I swallowed hard. _This isn't real and not a replacement life… I want that but I want it to be real. I want the real Hawkeye, not some dream him._ I thought of home. I felt the mist solidify a moment before the world was completely black.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, Captain got his Agent out and has fought through the dreamstate's final attempt. But what of Hawkeye and Agent Kent?

SIDE NOTE: Agent Drake and Agent Kent are from another superhero series that I borrowed. They have nothing to do with SHIELD, in fact they're from a totally different comic series... But that doesn't matter. I'll be totally impressed if you can figure out who the are.. particularly since I gave you so little information.

OTHER NOTE: I have snuck away from my family so as to update. Hopefully they won't find me...


	17. Chapter 17

**I still don't own the Avengers.**

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I sat up slowly, feeling dizzy. As my vision cleared, I slowly could see a metal ceiling. I shook my head and immediately regretted it, but a bucket soon entered my range of vision and I clutched to it. The nausea passed but I kept the bucket, just in case. I could hear low beeping and someone talking. I looked up, slowly this time, to see a man in a doctor's coat looking at me. He had a relieved smile that was tinged with worry.

"It's ok Captain, you did it. Agent Kent and Agent Drake are both alive and awake." _Oh good, because I don't want to ever go in there again. Ever. Something's wrong though…_

"Where's" My voice was thick and barely audible. I coughed and the doctor handed me a cup with a straw. I sipped the water and then continued. "Where's Hawkeye?" The doctor looked away from me, suddenly seeming nervous.

"We were hoping you could tell us… He hasn't come out yet." He replied. "But it could just be that he needs a little longer, from what the agents said, the dreamstate affected him a lot stronger than we expected." I went to stand up and the doctor put his hand on my chest. I gave him a look and he quickly retreated.

"You can't get up, you're still-" he started to argue and I disregarded him. I removed the electrodes and got up, holding to the IV stand tightly when the world spun. Using it as a cane, I walked/stumbled over to where Hawkeye's bed was and I sat down in the chair next to him. The doctor get speaking, telling me how I shouldn't be upright but I ignored him. I simply stared at Hawkeye's prone form. I reached out and took his hand, holding it in mine and stroking it softly. The doctor stopped speaking and just watched me. I turned my head to him.

"I'm fine. Go now." I said in my most no-nonsense you-WILL-do-this voice. He nodded and scurried out of the room, his coat tails flapping a bit in his speed. I turned back to Hawkeye and I rested my head on the bed for a moment. _Hawkeye…_ _Clint. _I touched my lips to his hand in a soft kiss. Sitting back up, I moved my chair closer so I could get a better look at my fallen friend. His hair was messed up, probably from nurses wiping the sweat off his brow. Which was sweaty, whatever dream he was facing it must be unpleasant. I reached over to get a tissue from the bedside table and gently cleaned him off. His face suddenly scrunched up and he started to move around. I touched his cheek and he slowed but didn't stop.

"Hush, Hawkeye. It's alright… It's just a dream. Relax." I said to him, stroking his face. _What will I do without you? Come back… _He stopped moving and relaxed into his bed. I heard him whisper something but it was too low to catch. He leaned into my hand and I smiled.

"Hawkeye… Why didn't you come out? Wake up, reality is a lot better than dreams." I whispered to him, pulling my hand from his cheek. His face twitched and he started to writhe again, so I put my hand back. After seeing him instantly calm, I shook my head. _I'm enough to keep him calm, but can I wake him up? He's conscious enough to feel me, or at least someone, but does he even hear me?_ Regardless of whether or not he could, I kept talking.

"Hawkeye, I can't do this without you… I don't even want to try. Please, wake up. I need you to, please Hawkeye. Come back to me." I laid my head on the bed again, holding his hand in mine and stroking his cheek with the other. "Hawkeye…" I whispered again and noticed his eyelids flutter. I raised my head a bit and repeated his name. He shook his head from side to side, slowly as though he was looking for something, and I let go of his cheek in favor of holding his hand between my two. _He CAN hear me…_

"Hawkeye, wake up. You're in a dream, please wake up. Come back to me, come home to the tower." I whispered to him, getting a bit louder with each word. Hawkeye frowned and slowed his search. "No, Hawkeye…" He opened and closed his mouth and, not thinking, I reached out a hand to trace his lips. _Woooah Soldier, back off… You can't do that, not without permission. Forget about how soft and inviting they are, back off. No touching._ I berated myself and I started to drop Hawkeye's hand, but before I could he suddenly tightened his grip and his mouth ripped open in a silent scream. _What on earth is he dreaming?_ I immediately squeezed his hand again and touched his face.

"Hush, Hawkeye. It will be alright. It's a dream." I said back as I watched him worriedly. "It's just a dream." My voice did nothing to calm him, in fact it seemed to do the opposite.

"CAPTAIN, nononono you can't die no. Don't leave me, I'm sorry, it was Loki, Loki made me do it… Don't die, please stay with me. No, nononono… Not now…" he started off in a scream before ending in a whisper, still talking but I couldn't hear him. _He's dreaming that Loki forced him to kill me…_ I shut my eyes and hoped I wasn't wrong. I brought my face close to his and whispered in his ear.

"I'm not dead, Hawkeye, it's just a dream. I know you can hear and feel me… So I hope you'll forgive me for this." I hesitated only a moment before I kissed him gently, bringing a hand up to touch his neck and pet it softly. I pulled back and Hawkeye lay still. _Please let me have been right… I can't lose his friendship. _Hawkeye's eyes fluttered and he started shaking. I held his hand tight and whispered in his ear again.

"Hawkeye, I care about you a lot… I think, I think I am well on my way to loving you. I need you to wake up, please Hawkeye. Come home to me."

Finally, I set my head on his bed for the last time, holding his hand in mine as tight as I could without breaking it. After a few moments, I saw that he lay as still as though he were dead, I would have been nervous but I saw he was breathing. I brought his hand to my lips one last time, a farewell salute, before I stood and turned to leave, but one last thing occurred to me.

"If I was wrong… Please, I won't bother you in the least. I would still like to be your friend, but I will leave you alone if you're uncomfortable. I'm sorry." After that, I walked out of the room with my head held high. I had two agents to talk to and a debriefing, then I could return.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Oh no! Hawkeye didn't get out! What will Captain do?

SIDE NOTE: Looks like we're nearing the end here... I just want to thank you all for reading this and reviewing and favoriting and following... it seriously helped me finish this story and really make it come to life. So, thank you all so very much.


	18. Chapter 18

**I don't own the Avengers, despite daily wishes.**

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"Thank you, now please, get some rest." I finished taking my notes and reached out to shake Agent Kent's hand. I turned to leave but he stopped me.

"I know this is none of my business, but are you and Hawkeye... together?" he asked. "I only ask because… well, I saw a few bits of his dream. I think all he really needs is you by his bedside." _What did Hawkeye dream about..?_

"No we aren't dating, and I'm headed there now. I just need to write my report for Fury." I replied. _Then again... my report can wait, I'm going to Hawkeye now._ Agent Kent nodded to me and wished me the best. I left the room and walked quickly back to mine and Hawkeye's. When I walked in, I saw his fan was sitting next to him and holding his hand as he writhed around. I was surprised at the sudden wave of jealously as I shouted at her.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" I screamed. She dropped his hand and practically fled the room. I took her seat and used an antibacterial wipe to clean off his hand.

"Hush Hawkeye, I'm back now. She's gone, Clint. It's alright. Hush." I said to him soothingly, stroking his arm. He immediately stilled and relaxed. I saw that he was breathing oddly and his lips were chapped and raw, so I took the cup of water and the odd little sponge-on-a-stick that they used on coma patients. _Not that he will be here long, he will be ok soldier. Don't cry._ I took the odd tool and used it to wet his mouth. He swallowed the little trickle of water and so I did it again and again until he looked a bit better. I stood and got a paper towel, wet it and wiped his face off. After that, I just watched him, holding his hand.

_I can't lose him but he won't come out… How do I get him out? What am I supposed to do?_ I heard quiet knocking on the door so I barked out "Enter." I tried to release Hawkeye's hand but he wouldn't let me, so I shrugged and continued to hold it. Director Fury and the doctor walked in.

"Captain, why did you yell at the nurse?" asked Fury.

"Because she was bothering Hawkeye and making him agitated. I'd like to take him home, to Avengers Tower now." I said, not looking at them and just watching Hawkeye.

"You can't, he's still in a coma." Replied the doctor indignantly. "And she was doing her job." I ignored him and glanced at Fury, letting the look say all that I wouldn't speak.

"Can you give us a moment, doctor?" 'asked' Fury and the doctor left the room with a huff. Fury watched me for a moment before speaking. "Can you take care of him and write your report?" I nodded and he left the room.

"I'll take care of it then. Two hours."

I turned back to Hawkeye and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"We're going home now, Clint. Looks like we'll be bunking together so I can take care of you. I wonder what Stark will think about that…" At that thought, I suddenly jumped. _Is BW alright? How did the search for the telepath go, are they all ok? _I shook myself of the thoughts and reminded myself that Fury would have said something if they were injured. _I need to care for this teammate, BW has the others. _I sat there and wondered at how to take care of Clint while brushing my fingers through his hair.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Awwwww, Captain is playing nurse! How cute. But when will Hawkeye wake up? And what is happening with Widow and the others? Did anyone else fall into the dreamstate? Will we have to deal with that headache again? And how _will_ Stark deal with Captain's taking care of Hawkeye?


	19. Chapter 19

**I don't own the Avengers. I do own the telepath. NOTE: THIS IS NOT IN CAPTAIN'S PERSPECTIVE.  
**

* * *

I sat in camp, in front of the fire. I looked around every few minutes, to check everyone's position. _How does Steve do this and not lose his mind…_ Bruce and Thor were talking about fighting, as usual. Tony was talking to himself, probably making notes to Jarvis or something. I looked into the fire and thought. _The telepath can only attack one person at a time. Tony's suit protects him from the telepath's 'hearing', something about electricity running through metal seems to confuse him. So we need to trap him in a metal box and have electricity run through it. _I texted this to Fury for him to forward it to the wardens at the jail so they could prepare a suitable cage. _He doesn't seem to have any other powers, just the telepathy. So if we could get close to him, all we would need is have Thor grab him and toss him into the box… or maybe an ambush…_ I considered the options when suddenly Tony sat heavily next to me.

"You and Captain are best friends, right?" he asked me. _Oh good, more questioning by Tony._

"Yes, and no I still don't know if he's gay or straight and I wouldn't tell you if I did. Your fascination with his behind is not as interesting as you think. Stop telling me about it and stop asking me; Steve's sexuality is his own thing." I replied to the various questions that he's been pestering me since he set his sights on Steve.

"How come you're the only he lets call him Steve?" He asked petulantly. _How has Steve not strangled him yet… he's insubordinate, cocky, risks all of us randomly… and so very nosy._

"I imagine that is has something to do with the fact that I'm his best friend and have been since we met."

"But I _saved_ him!"

"And you've also ignored or questioned all of his orders, disregarded his advice, pester him endlessly, and probably scare him with your flirting." I sanpped. "I swear Tony, you're going to drive him insane. You don't even know him that well." Tony pouted at me and I shook my head.

"What's there to know, he has a great body and so do I. Therefore, we should have sex. And my flirting isn't scary, it's seductive and funny. He likes me." Replied Tony. _If he had long enough hair, he would have flipped it like a blonde chick…_ I shook my head at him.

"If all you're going to talk about is Steve, then leave before I start using you for target practice." I replied tiredly. He sighed dramatically and then suddenly leaned forward excitedly.

"So, you and Clint then?" He asked. I considered throwing myself into the fire.

"No, I imagine my girlfriend would be a bit upset at that." I said back dully, feeling guilt for deceiving Steve. _Though dealing with Tony should clear up all the red in my ledger for lying…_

"Girlfriend!" exclaimed Tony excitedly. He seemed to stop breathing a moment. I sighed mentally. _3…2….1_

"Hey, can I take you both for some drinks?" he asked. _Predictable._

"No." I said back.

"Please?" he begged with puppy dog eyes. "Just… fifteen minutes. You don't even have to look at me. Just kiss."

"No." I replied.

"ten minutes." He bargained. _Sorry Steve…_

"Hey, you know, late at night, when Steve can't sleep, he goes for a swim." I said. At Tony's uncaring raised eyebrow I continued. "Nude." For a moment I was concerned that I broke Stark, but he suddenly stood up and walked to his tent, muttering under his breath. All I caught was something about doubling the cameras in the pool and adding caffeine to all of Captain's drinks. I smiled to myself. _I never said he swam in the pool…_

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:_  
_

Sneaky, sneaky Widow and silly Stark. Captain doesn't want a playboy. But how to capture the telepath? And how are Hawkeye and Captain doing?

Note: I'm free! My relatives are gone and I can update as I please :D


	20. Chapter 20

**I don't own Avengers. I do own the telepath.**

* * *

I sat in my tree using binoculars to keep an eye on the proceedings. Bruce was running as fast as he could, the masked telepath following close behind. The telepath was entirely focused on Bruce, not noticing Thor behind him. I looked up. Iron man held the secret weapon. I smiled to myself. _Gotcha. _Bruce tripped, I watched. I could see the telepath's smirk from here. Thor took his hammer and hit the telepath on the head who turned just seconds too late. Quickly, Tony shot down and trapped the telepath in the metal box and Thor called down some lightning, placing Mjolnir on the box to keep the electricity flowing. I jumped out of my tree and ran over. Tony was laughing and prancing around like a fool. Bruce was dusting himself off. Thor had his eyes shut as he focused on calling down continuous lighting. I smiled as I called in Fury, within seconds we had a transport and the telepath was sitting in a proper cage, complete with a rubber chair to sit on. Thor had passed out seconds after picking Mjolnir back up and ending the lightning. Bruce held him so he didn't fall onto the floor as they sat on the lounge couch that Tony had insisted on equipping transports with. Tony was still prancing.

Fury and I stood together, watching silently, until he gestured for quiet.

"Captain America and Hawkeye managed to save the two agents, but there was a problem. Hawkeye is stuck in the dreamland. Captain has taken a temporary leave of absence and assigned himself to his care and so Widow, I was told that in the event of an emergency, you are leader. He has requested that no one bother him unless it is an emergency that only he can solve and that he will, and this is a quote, 'cheerfully castrate anyone fool enough to bother me'. I would recommend listening to this."

"I told Captain that he'd be better off taking me, Hawkeye just isn't stron-" started Tony and it took me two steps to get to him and I punched him.

"Steve may be nice enough to not use physical punishments, but I'm not. When we get back to Avengers Tower, you are to go home to Pepper and not come back unless I call you or Steve does. Understood?" I bit out. _I cannot believe that he would say that Clint wasn't strong enough. Actually, I can. _

Tony held his nose and I saw blood. _Oops, bit too hard. _He nodded at me and walked out.

Fury looked at me and shook his head. "I see why he chose you." he said before he also left the room. Bruce looked at me, impressed, before yawning and shutting his eyes.

"I'm going to get some sleep now, if you don't mind." I nodded and left to find a quiet place to think. _Poor Clint…_

A few hours later, Tony burst into the storage area where I was hiding.

"Natasha, I need to talk to you. I'm sorry for what I said about Hawkeye, it was out of line, but I seriously need to talk to you!" he said in a rushed panic, his hair sticking straight up. _Whatever it is, it's serious._

"I'm right here Tony. What is it?" I asked. _So help me if it's about Steve again I will slap him silly. _

"Pepper just left me a voicemail saying that we need to talk! What does that mean!" I stared at him. _…Seriously?_

"It means… that you need to talk. To her. Face to face." I replied. _Wow. _

"Last time she said that, I wound up on the couch for a month!"

"Right, good luck then…" I said, uncomfortable with this conversation.

"Please don't make me go home, let me stay at the tower!" He begged, frantic. _This is hilarious._

"No, you need a punishment. In fact, I think I'll call her…" I started to reach for my phone and he fell to his knees.

"Please! I'll do anything!" he continued looking like a man sentenced to death. I rolled my eyes. _What the hell, why not?_

"You can… But only if you promise me three things." I said, putting on my serious face.

"Anything!" he agreed.

"One: You will tell Steve EXACTLY what your intentions are. Two: you will never, ever ask me and my girlfriend to kiss. Third: You will talk to Pepper by the end of the week or I will call her myself." I told him with a smile.

"…Deal." He said, shaking his head. "So, shall I show up in Captain's rooms wearing nothing but a smile and whip cream?"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Ahhhh Stark, such a dork. And no, the telepath will never have a name. That's Fury's job, not mine. Now I wonder what Pepper has to say to Stark... And WHAT is going on with Hawkeye and Captain!


	21. Chapter 21

**I don't own Avengers OR the songs. The songs belong to Five for Fighting and Tenth Avenue.**

* * *

_Slow and steady… you don't want to cut him…_I carefully shaved Hawkeye and then looked over with a critical eye. _Clean-shaven, hair brushed neatly then carefully mussed up, clean clothes… It looks just like he's sleeping. _I nodded to myself and put away the various supplies. I glanced at the clock and decided that I had time for a quick shower. I went into the bathroom and made the mistake of looking at the mirror. _Scruffy 'beard', bags under bloodshot eyes…_ I then decided that a longer shower was needed. I turned on the bathroom radio and was glad that Stark had set it to play my Pandora account… _I really need to thank BW for setting up the account for me._ _I'm glad that she was smart enough to simply slide her report under the door instead of trying to come in. _I stripped down and jumped into the shower. A song started playing that I rather enjoyed and I decided that since no one could really hear me, I could indulge in something I haven't done in a long time. I used the remote to crank the music up and I sang.

_I can't stand to fly  
I'm not that naive  
I'm just out to find  
The better part of me_

_I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane  
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train  
And it's not easy to be me_

_Wish that I could cry_  
_Fall upon my knees_  
_Find a way to lie_  
_About a home I'll never see_

_It may sound absurd, but don't be naive_  
_Even heroes have the right to bleed_  
_I may be disturbed, but won't you concede_  
_Even heroes have the right to dream_  
_It's not easy to be me_

_Up, up and away, away from me_  
_It's all right, you can all sleep sound tonight_  
_I'm not crazy, or anything_

_I can't stand to fly_  
_I'm not that naive_  
_Men weren't meant to ride_  
_With clouds between their knees_

_I'm only a man in a silly red sheet_  
_Digging for kryptonite on this one way street_  
_Only a man in a funny red sheet_  
_Looking for special things inside of me_  
_Inside of me_  
_Inside me_  
_Yeah, inside me_  
_Inside of me_

_I'm only a man_  
_In a funny red sheet_  
_I'm only a man_  
_Looking for a dream_

_I'm only a man_  
_In a funny red sheet_  
_And it's not easy_

_It's not easy to be me_

The song ended and I lowered the volume again. I finished cleaning myself and got out of the shower. I decided to keep the music playing. _It's nice to hear something besides Hawkeye's breathing. _I then looked at the clock and saw that it was time to take care of Hawkeye. I walked over to the bed where he laid and I sat down at the edge. First I gently, using the sponge-stick-thing, gave him the water with dissolved vitamins.

"You know, Clint. This vitamin water can't taste good. If you wake up, I'll give you all the coffee you want." I watched his eyelids flutter as I spoke and I smiled sadly. _He's still aware at least, despite the fact that he won't wake up._

"Cap… Cap'n…" he whispered and he started moving around. I knew what to do at this point, and I reached out a hand to his face. He calmed instantly and I sighed mentally. _It's been two days… No, I will not give up hope. He knows I'm here, he'll come back. He has to._ I stroked a smooth cheek and I thought about BW and her report. They got back yesterday, Thursday apparently. BW had Bruce think about how bad it would be to get caught by the telepath and therefore attract his attention. Thor then knocked him out and Stark trapped him. Quite brilliant. I knew she'd make a good leader, despite her numerous complaints.

I heard a knock on the door. _This better be important._ I fairly growled at the interruption and I shook my head. I stood and opened the door to see Stark. _Do not growl. Do not growl. Do not growl._

"What, Stark?" I asked him, trying to keep the homicidal malice out of my voice. _Breathe, soldier. Maybe something important happened._

"Hey, Captain… Can I come in?" asked Stark. _Polite, maybe it's important news. Maybe. _

"Yes, but make it quick." I replied tersely.

"Thanks…" He replied, looking a bit nervous. I showed him to the chair and I leaned against a wall.

"Uhm, Cap," he started, but at my glare he paused. _Only Hawkeye can call me that..._ "-tain, Captain, if there's only one bed where do you sleep?"

"On that chair. What do you need to tell me?" I said back, tense. _Kind of the truth… I usually start out in the chair._

"Ah.." He seemed a bit more nervous and I stared at him. _If this isn't important, I will break him over my knee and throw him out the window._

"I, can we talk where Hawkeye isn't?"

"No. What do you want, Stark?" I asked.

"Oh.. well, I guess it's not like he's aware. Uhm, are you gay?" he asked.

"…what?" He suddenly seemed to gather his courage and stood up, walking over to me.

"Captain… Steve, I want to see you. All of you. I want you in my bed, your bed, the pool; I want you everywhere and in everyway possible. I wa-" He said, leaning his face slowly closer to mine.

"Stark, get away from me. Now. Never call me Steve again." I said, my voice low and dangerous.

"Come on, it will be fun!" he replied, smiling wickedly.

"Last warning." I replied, staring at him angrily.

He didn't reply, he simply leaned his face in to mine, shut his eyes and puckered his lips. I ducked under him and pulled his leg out from under him.

"Wagh!" he shouted before he 'kissed' the wall and fell, probably bleeding. I reached over, grabbed his leg and dragged him out of the room. Picking him up, I threw him into the hallway like a ragdoll.

"Stay away from me, Stark." I growled out and I slammed the door. I locked and bolted the door. _Goddamn Stark. Trying to kiss me. Idiot. _I went back to the bed and sat with Hawkeye. I watched him and I felt the tension fade away. I smiled at him and took his hand, holding it to my face.

"Stark got bold today, Clint. He tried to kiss me, just now. I guess he realized that I wasn't going to flirt back…" I told him, holding his hand. I wasn't watching him. I didn't see his face scrunch up or his eyes twitch.

"Held me against a wall and told me what he wanted to do with me…" I continued absentmindedly, reclining. I still didn't look at him; I didn't notice his eyes blinking.

"I didn't let him of course, I threw him, literally, out of our rooms." I laughed and looked at him. His eyes were still shut and I lightly kissed his hand, a familiar habit of mine. I listened quietly for a moment to his breathing and I noticed that Pandora was still on and playing my favorite song. I smiled slightly and sang along to it, standing up to get some more water and a washcloth.

_Why are you striving these days?  
Why are you trying to earn grace?  
Why are you crying?  
Let me lift up your face, just don't turn away_

I wet the washcloth and carefully cleaned off Clint's face. I then carefully applied chapstick to his lips, to prevent cracking.

_Why are you looking for love?  
Why are you still searching as if I'm not enough?  
To where will you go child?  
Tell me where will you run, to where will you run?_

I sat him up carefully and sat behind him. I brushed waterless shampoo through his hair and made sure the bed underneath him was wrinkle-free.

_'Cos I'll be by your side, wherever you fall_  
_In the dead of night, whenever you call_  
_And please don't fight these hands that are holding you_  
_My hands are holding you_

_Look at these hands, at my side_  
_They swallowed the grave on that night_  
_When I drank the world's sin_  
_So I could carry you in and give you life_  
_I wanna give you life_

I sat next to him again and carefully gave him water, gently drying off any drips before they made him twitch.

_And I'll be by your side, wherever you fall  
In the dead of night, whenever you call  
And please don't fight these hands that are holding you  
My hands are holding you_

I took his hand and slowly massaged it, making sure that the blood worked through it properly, just like the nurse taught me. I moved on to the next one. I was too focused to notice his eyelids fluttering again.

_Here at my side wherever you fall_  
_In the dead of night whenever you call_  
_And please don't fight these hands that are holding you_  
_My hands are holding you_

_'Cause I, I love you, I want you to know_  
_That I, yeah I love you, I'll never let you go_  
_No, no_

I moved down to his legs, massaging the muscle, the same way as I did his hands.

_And I'll be by your side wherever you fall_  
_In the dead of night whenever you call_  
_And please don't fight these hands that are holding you_  
_My hands are holding you_

I finished his massage and I moved back to my normal spot, holding his hand. I kissed it again, in greeting.

_Here at my side, wherever you fall_  
_In the dead of night, whenever you call_  
_And please don't fight these hands that are holding you_  
_My hands are holding you_

_Here at my side  
My hands are holding you _

The song ended and the room fell into silence. I just stayed there, thinking about Hawkeye and praying he would wake up soon. _When did he become such a fixture in my life?_ I was lying next to him on the bed, holding his hand, looking at the ceiling, when he woke up.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

HAWKEYE IS ALIIIIVE! :D I wonder how he shall react to Captain's hand-holding? And poor Stark... I beat him up so much. I really do like him, I just really like him when he's bleeding too. Also, he will have his happy ending (spoiler: they all have happy endings. I hate sad endings or bittersweet ones).

Captain was very offended by Stark because Stark wanted to just have sex and Captain is old fashioned-y (meaning he sees it as lovemaking, not a fun-to-do-with-buddies thing). Stark IS NOT a bad guy, in this story however he just wants to have sex with Cap, not malicious, just as a "You're sexy, I'm sexy" thing. Not using Cap. I just needed to clarify that. Stark is a playboy but not a douche. Also, keep in mind that Cap has spent two days alone with a comatose Hawkeye...

The first song that Captain sings is "Superman" by Five for Fighting. I feel like that should be his theme song... The second one is "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue. I just love the idea of Captain singing...


	22. Chapter 22

**I don't own the Avengers**

* * *

"Cap… Steve.. Where am I?" asked a groggy voice. I jumped out of bed and then ran to his side.

"Clint! Hawkeye! You're awake!" I exclaimed, resisting the urge to scream. _Finally! He came back!_

"Am I?" he asked, squinting. _It must be too bright. _I immediately ran to the light switch and dimmed the lighting, flying back to his side.

"Yes, you're back in Avengers tower. Are you ok, need a drink?" I asked him, trying to calm myself down. _Breathe, soldier. _

"No, I'm fine…" he replied, looking dazed. "Am I really awake this time?"

"Yes, you're really back now." I looked at him, thanking whoever had heard my prayers that he was awake.

"Is it bad that… I'm like really really tired?" he asked, yawning and his hair fell into his eyes. Automatically I brushed it away and then fought away the flush.

"No, get some rest. You need it." I replied, thinking. _He's awake… and it feels so bittersweet…_

"Mmmk… Hey Cap…." He mumbled, eyes already drooping, he raised his arm and wove it at me.

"Yes, Clint?" I replied. _What on earth is he… Oh. _He took my hand and held it.

"Stay…" His eyes shut fully and I smiled slightly. _He'll kick me out tomorrow then, but I will be happy to offer whatever comfort I can give…_

"Always." I whispered and I sat down in the chair, holding his hand and watching him sleep. _Morning will come far too soon._

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Very short chapter, but we've had a lot of long ones and a bunch more are coming up. Almost done guys! (I know I said that a bit ago, but seriously, only like... four more chapters left. Or five. I dunno, I give up guessing. We shall soon have slash... Hopefully?) Also, I need to know something. Shall I attempt smut or do sweet (which I'm pretty good at) or some combination of both? (either PM me or review; I check both obsessively).


	23. Chapter 23

**I don't own the Avengers.**

* * *

I was right, morning came far too soon. I felt oddly refreshed, despite having spent the night in the chair. I smiled as I opened my eyes. _Hawkeye is awake! _I looked towards the bed and immediately my smile disappeared. Hawkeye was gone. I closed my eyes at the pain and went around the room, sorting out the various medical things. I noticed that the IV stand and the catheter (as well as the bag) were both gone. I checked the clock and found that it was noon. _The nurse must have come in and taken them then._ With a sigh, I finished packing all the medical supplies and I set them aside, to return to the SHIELD doctor. I then took all of Hawkeye's things that I had grabbed for him, the spare clothes and whatnot, and prepared that into a bag to return to his room. After a small cleanup, my room looked like it had before I left for this last mission. I closed my eyes and sat down, head in my hands. _It's not like I won't ever see him again… We work together… And yet, I miss him. _I swallowed the sob and shook my head. _I will not cry about a happy time. Hawkeye is alive and well, that is not sad._ I grabbed the box of medical supplies and Hawkeye's bag and I left my room.

I walked quickly down the hall, hoping that I wouldn't run into anyone. I got my wish, everyone seemed to be elsewhere. I left Hawkeye's bag in front of his door; I considered knocking but I couldn't face him right now. I left the tower and rode around aimlessly for a while, not wanting to deal with Fury. Somehow, I found myself at the florist. I walked in and the shopkeeper smiled at me.

"Hello, dearie. Back again? What kind of flowers this time?" she asked cheerfully. She studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You look like you need… let's see… White Iris… White Carnations... Gardenia… and definitely a few of the soft pink peonies." She carefully selected these flowers, all creamy white blossoms except for the peonies, and then studied the effect. Frowning, she considered it. "It's missing something…" She looked around the store and smiled broadly. "Of course!" She then added white lilies to the bouquet. "Hmm, no… Still one more thing. Snapdragons, of course." She carefully placed three pink snapdragons into the bouquet and smiled at me. "There you go, exactly what you need."

I tried to speak but she just shook her head and handed me the bouquet. "Free of charge, provided one thing. Take that home and put it in your room… and give a peony to whoever it is who's got you so sad. Live a little, dear." She then spun me around and pushed me out of the store. "Remember, a peony!" she called out, before shutting the door. _What an odd woman… But friendly…_ I looked at the bouquet, I closed my eyes and smelled them. _What an understated effect, they're surprisingly pretty for such simple flowers…_ I shook my head and put them gently into the saddlebag of my motorcycle. I then got on and continued riding.

After a while, I realized that I was headed towards the cemetery. I decided that I should definitely visit Bucky… It had been a week already. I reached the cemetery and I took one of the lilies out of the bouquet. I walked to Bucky's grave and laid it there.

"Hello, Bucky." I whispered, touching the stone. I went to sit on my bench and was shocked to see BW sitting there. She looked at me and gestured for me to sit. I did and she took my hand, studying the lines.

"I figured you'd come here. Took you a bit longer than I expected though, I thought it'd be your first stop." She said evenly but I could detect the worry in her voice.

"I went to the florist." I said back. "He loved lilies."

"He loved you." She replied. "More than friends, friends don't visit graves every week. Lover?" I nodded. _What's the use in pretending? _She stopped playing with my hand and laced her fingers into mine. We looked at the gravestone together quietly. Finally I broke the silence.

"Why are you here?" I asked, squeezing her hand to show that I wasn't mad.

"Because I've spent the last few days running the team while you were a nurse. You didn't come out of that room once, until today. You wouldn't do that for anyone… Not even me, and I'm your best friend." I opened my mouth to argue and she shook her head. "I wouldn't want you to. No, you have feelings for Clint. I'm here because I know you and I know that you need to talk and Steve? A gravestone isn't going to work this time." I shut my mouth and I looked away. Finally I turned back to her.

"I really hate it when you're right… Yes, I have feelings for Clint. In the dream… in one of the dreams, he and I were married. I was so tempted to just stay there… let whatever happened happen…" I trailed off. "Are you bi or lesbian?" She blinked in surprise and then replied that she was a lesbian. I laughed.

"So he was right… You know, you don't need to ever worry about me hating you, I couldn't." I squeezed her hand and she smiled briefly at me.

"What else happened during you mission?" she asked, leaning onto my shoulder. I put my arm around her.

"I talked to Bucky. He told me that it wasn't my fault… Hawkeye kissed me, but he was most likely a dream-Hawkeye and not the real one. Honestly, I'm still not sure which one was real… there were three of them. But afterwords, when I got out and he didn't… I sat next to him and held his hand. He started panicking and touched his face. He started talking in his sleep… about how Loki made him do it and that I couldn't die… so…" I stopped to breathe and calm down. BW wrapped an arm around the back of my waist and I continued. "I whispered in his ear that I cared about him and I kissed him. He started shaking so I just held his hand until he stopped. I apologized after…" at that she laughed.

"You _apologized_ for kissing him?" she asked incredulously.

"No, I apologized for taking advantage of him in his sleep." I stared at her and she shook her head.

"Steve, you need to talk to him." She told me.

"No." I replied. "I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes!"

"I can, and will, do this all night. No." I replied stubbornly. "I won't." She looked at me for a long moment before shaking her head at me.

"Men! You need to. Now, it's getting late and I'm hungry. Take me to dinner." She said to me. I rolled my eyes and offered her my arm. I said goodbye to Bucky and she nodded towards him. We walked to my motorcycle and I drove us to our usual place, a little hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

A short one, but I wanted some more Widow/Captain friendship...

SIDE NOTE: I have a lot (almost the rest of it, actually) written, I just need to type it up. So the updates are going to be hard and fast (snicker) until the end.


	24. Chapter 24

**I don't own the Avengers.**

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I finished my chicken parmesan and I sipped my wine, waiting for BW to finish her penne. She did, momentarily and then looked up at me.

"You know Cap, I should have figured out that you were gay out a while ago… I mean, you cook, you eat like a fairy princess, you sip your wine and I've never seen you slug your beer." She shook her head in mock disappointment. "The clues were all in front of me!" I chuckled and she reached out for my hand again.

"Want to get out usual dessert?" I asked, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand. She nodded and drained her wine. I signaled the waiter who then, with a smile, brought the large slice of tiramisu that we always shared.

"Looks like we're getting predictable, BW." I said, offering her one of the forks. She took it and stole the first bite. I sighed in fake resignation and she flashed a quick smile.

"Oh, you know you love me!" She said and I rolled my eyes. She kicked me under the table and I laughed.

"Lighten up, Steve. And relax. Everything works out in the end." She said as she swiped the whipped coffee cream off of the dessert.

"Everything works out as long as I don't want the whip cream, right?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. She nodded seriously. I shook my head and took a bite of the dessert before she ate it. _We do this every time! When will I learn to order my own dessert?_ A few minutes later, the dessert was gone and we were drinking a final cup of coffee.

"Alright, Steve. I need to know one thing and then I promise I won't bring up the subject again… Do you love Clint?" She asked, watching me closely.

I hesitated before speaking._ Do I? _"I… don't know. I think that I could, easily. And I want to." I looked away and she squeezed my hand.

"Good enough for me. You ready to go?" I nodded and waved to the waiter and paid the bill, ignoring BW's attempts to split the bill as usual. _It's not like I really do anything with my money… _She took my arm as we left the restaurant and mounted my motorcycle. She wrapped her arms around my waist and we rode off, both thinking deeply about the same man as we sped home.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I seriously think Widow and Cap would be an awful lot like Hermione and Harry. Different, but so very complementary.


	25. Chapter 25

**I don't own the Avengers. THIS IS NOT IN CAPTAIN'S PERSPECTIVE.**

* * *

After we reached home, I jumped off of Steve's bike and stretched. I smiled at Steve and we walked together into the tower. He led me down the hall to my room and I told him about my girlfriend. We set up a date so they could meet and we stopped in front of my door. He kissed my cheek and I thanked him for the dinner. I entered my room and I wasn't shocked in the least to find Clint lying on my bed, exactly where I left him this afternoon.

"Back from your walk?" he asked, rather tersely. I ignored him and went to my closet, absentmindedly changing into sweatpants and a t shirt that I may have stolen from Steve to sleep in. I turned back to see Clint looking politely at the ceiling. I rolled my eyes and joined him on the bed.

"Nope. I'm still out, enjoying the nightlife." I replied, poking him to get him to shift over.

"Ah good, just talking to myself then." He said, obligingly moving.

"So, what do you want to know?" I asked him, prepared to be interrogated.

"What parts are real and what parts were dream?" he replied, his eyes meeting mine and I got comfortable in the bed.

"Since you never did tell me your dream…" He broke the gaze and looked at the ceiling, a blush tingeing his cheeks. _Ah, that kind of dream._ I grinned wickedly and flicked his nose. He glared back and I rose my eyebrows challengingly. After I trumped him in the brief battle of wills, he looked away to speak.

"Which dream? The ones near the end? All of them? There were so many…" He replied, his voice shaking a bit. "I'm not even sure if right now is real." I took his hand and laced my fingers through it, holding him quietly. He continued. "We were married, in one. In another, we were on our first date. He was perfect, in all of them. Let me take the lead, never crowding me, never holding me too much. It's the ones near the end, after we saved the agents that things got… bad. I tried to leave but… the voices got to me… In the first one, Loki controlled me and made me kill Cap slowly and painfully. I was fully aware but I couldn't stop. I could hear Cap talking to me though… I could feel him touch me." He paused again, bringing a hand to his cheek. The next few were just Cap and I dreams, us together. Occasionally I was brought back to the Loki nightmare… punishment I guess. I remember being held at night. The last one, I heard Cap singing. Then he told me about Tony coming on to him… I got so mad, the dream felt slippery and I almost got out. But suddenly I was brought back into it. Then Cap sang again, but this time it was to me… I woke up but almost immediately went back to sleep." He finished. I stroked his arm and let him steady his breathing again.

"What happened that made you run into my room at five in the morning, practically hyperventilating and redder than that time in the men's locker room?" I asked.

"I woke up with Cap in bed with me, holding hands. It felt so natural… I panicked and carefully put him in the chair. He looked so tired."

We lay in bed, in silence while I digested this. _So Clint is most definitely into Steve… Now how to tell Clint that Steve likes him without betraying Steve's secrets…_ Clint looked at me beseechingly.

"Please… I won't ask you to betray his confidence, but am I real? Is this real? Do I have a chance?" he asked and my heart broke for him. He looked like a lost puppy that had been kicked far too many times. I kissed his nose, a common occurrence for him and I, and smiled at him and he seemed to take that as my answer. He nodded and stared at the ceiling.

"Part of me… Part of me wishes to be back there." He whispered, brokenly and I held him.

"You cannot live in dreams, Clint. You're needed here… and you will be happier here, in the real world." I told him. He didn't reply, just laid with me. I put my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him loosely, so he could get out when he wanted. _Probably at dawn, as usual._

"Sleep well, Natasha. Thank you." He said to me.

"Get some sleep, Clint. I'm always here for you if you need me." I said back and he smiled a small smile. I shut my eyes and I pretended to sleep, all the while plotting on how to set these two stubborn men.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Oooooh a meddling Widow? I wonder what will happen...


	26. Chapter 26

**I don't own the Avengers.**

* * *

I woke up, seven am, and got out of bed. After a quick stretch, I went to the gym. _It's been a week since I last trained. Double hours for this week. _I vanquished each punching bag and did two hundred pushups. After a shower, I went into the kitchen to cook breakfast, only to find BW already there. I blinked in surprise at the piles of pancakes, bacon, waffles, sausages, and eggs. Raising my eyes at her, I grabbed a mug of coffee and looked questioningly at the food. She shrugged and handed me a plate.

"I decided to try this out. It was odd... I may have gotten carried away. You might want to get eating before Thor gets here."

I nodded and set a plate. She joined me and I ate quickly.

"So, Steve, what are you doing today?" She asked. _She's up to something…_ I watched her and she smirked, knowing that I knew something was up but not admitting what it was.

"Just working out. I have to get back on track." I replied.

"Tony is reconfiguring the pool room. And actually, you'll be at my surprise 'Welcome Home Clint' party, on the roof." She replied. I groaned.

"BW, if this is an attempt to se-" I started but Hawkeye walked in. I immediately froze and quickly drank my coffee. I stood up carrying my plate. "I'm off for a run then." I nodded briefly at Hawkeye and fled the room. _Subtle, soldier. Like a tank._

I walked out of the tower and started a light jog. I considered listening to music but I wasn't in the mood. _I need to think._ I managed to get out of the driveway before I heard a second pair of footsteps. I resisted the urge to groan and went a bit faster; hoping whoever it was would get the hint. They didn't and so I resigned myself and let them catch up to me. I glanced over to see Bruce struggling to keep up. I felt a bit guilty and slowed to a walk. He looked relieved and we walked together. Finally his curiosity could not be ignored and he burst with questions.

"How was the dreamstate? Did willing things work how I thought? Did you interact with any dreams? What happened, did you write your report yet, can I read it?" He asked, barely breathing in between the questions. I shook my head and smiled to myself.

"Awfully complicated, yes, yes, a lot happened, no, when I finish." I replied. _Bruce is such a… scientist._

"Great!" He said, practically jumping in his excitement. "Once you finish. You don't have to specify what precisely happened in the dream, just how the dream elements worked out. I won't interfere in your run any longer, thank you Captain!" at that, he walked off smiling. I shook my head again and restarted my jog, deciding a mile would be sufficient since I needed to prepare for BW's little… party.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Poor Hawkeye, Cap is avoiding him! Bad Cap, bad! I've always seen Bruce as a sort of chihuahua, just a super aggressive one.


	27. Chapter 27

**I don't own the Avengers.**

* * *

I ran the mile and then turned around to run back. As I ran, I wondered about Hawkeye. _What did he dream about? Does he remember anything? Why did he leave? _I then abandoned that line of thinking and my cell phone beeped incessantly. I picked it up and pushed random buttons until I heard BW's voice.

"Hey, Steve? Are you still out?" she asked. I replied in the affirmative. "Oh good. I'm heading out in the car right now, meet me at the store, that little one you hate. Fifteen minutes." She said, hanging up. I muttered under my breath and rerouted myself so I could get there in time.

I reached there only a few minutes behind her and she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the store.

"We need booze. Lots and lots of booze." She told the clerk who glanced at her impassively, having eyes only for me. I shifted uncomfortably under the cashier's long, heated stare.

"I really, really hate you right now." I whispered to BW. She winked at me and grabbed a cart. She walked through the store, taking several cases of different beer brands. She also selected some wines, some hard lemonade, and then lots more beer. I shook my head and tried to avoid the girl's gaze and pretended that she wasn't staring at my behind. _She's barely eighteen, why is she so fascinated? _Suppressing a shudder, I found the champagne that I remembered Hawkeye enjoyed at the Loki-is-gone-clebration. Not quite knowing why, I took three bottles and added it to the cart. Finally, after emptying the store of all its beer and filling five carts, we went to the check out. The cashier didn't even bat an eyelid or rather, she didn't bat one eyelid at the alcohol. She bat plenty at me and I suppressed another shudder.

BW handed her the Avengers' bank account card and I started moving the carts out to the car and unloading them into the trunk. I saw the cashier slip an extra paper into the bag and I nearly bit through my tongue resisting the urge to groan. _I don't want your number you foolish girl! Stop giving it to me!_

We finished packing up the car and drove back to the Tower. Once there, BW leaned in to whisper that Bruce and Thor were distracting Hawkeye and that we needed to hide the 'booze' in my room. _When did I volunteer my room?_ I didn't bother fighting; I knew she would win. We just snuck the bags into my room and I raised my eyebrows at the sudden lack of walking space. BW then turned to me and looked at me critically. She then jumped to my bureau and dug through it.

"What are you doing?" I asked, somewhat indignant. She threw a pile of clothes onto my bed and ordered me to take a shower and change into them. She then walked out of my room but stuck her head in the door for one more remark.

"Oh, and wear that cologne. The one that smells like sex in a bottle." She said, smirking at my blush, and shutting the door. I shook my head and muttered under my breath about crazy women… before doing exactly as she said. After dressing in the clothes she picked out, the formfitting black t-shirt and dark pants that fit snugly, just past the border of uncomfortable, I obediently grabbed the cologne and put on just a little. I looked at the sea of alcohol before, on the same impulse that made me buy them; I took one bottle of champagne and set it on the table next to my vase (which held the bouquet I received from the florist). I looked at it for a moment before shaking my head. _Damn soldier, you're getting sentimental. _I pulled one peony out of the bouquet and looked at it… I grabbed a sweater and put it on, hiding the flower inside the sweater carefully. I then walked down the hallway and saw Hawkeye walking into the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, I tiptoed down and snuck into his room, placing the peony on his bed before fleeing like a frightened child. _If only the adoring public could see their hero now, fleeing an empty room…_ I shut the door behind me and came face to face with a deathly pale Stark.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Oh no! What's wrong with Stark?


	28. Chapter 28

**I don't own Avengers.**

* * *

I reached out a hand to steady Stark as he seemed about to collapse at my feet. He grasped my shoulder and I half-led half-carried him to the living room, putting him onto the couch and sitting next to him. He stared unblinkingly at the floor and twirled his hands. _What the hell? What happened?_

"Stark, what's wrong? Are you alright?" I asked, concerned. _He was completely unshaken during the entire Loki fiasco, what on earth could possibly scare him this badly?_ His eyes slowly focused and met mine. He looked absolutely terrified. I gulped.

"Pep- Pepper…" he started. I tensed up when I heard her name. I had met her only briefly but she was a good person, very sweet and kind. She was also very good to Stark; while I may personally disagree with how open their relationship was, they have been going strong for years. _Oh god, she's dead, isn't she? _"She's… she's pregnant." I stared blankly at him. _Pregnancy scares Stark worse than imminent death?_ I shook my head. _There must be something else to it…_

"And?" I asked, trying to not sound harsh.

"And what do I do?" He asked panicked, grasping my arm quite tightly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and shook my arm out of his grip.

"You do the right thing, Stark. Do you love her?" I asked seriously. He nodded. "Would you stop your constant bedding of… everyone for her?" I continued, actually managing to hold back the blush. He nodded again, surprisingly earnestly. "Will you love and protect this child?" Here he hesitated but then nodded. I stood up and looked at him. "Then the answer should be obvious..." He looked blank so I hummed a few bars. His eyes popped and he jumped up.

"Marriage! Of course, we should get married… I love her, she loves me… And we're going to have a family! Captain, you're brilliant!" He exclaimed before kissing me on both cheeks. _Ew._ I heard a clunk of something being dropped and quick footfalls, I turned to see what appeared to be Hawkeye fleeing the room. _Wonder what has him in such a rush…_ I turned back to Stark who was still bouncing excitedly. I watched a few moments, laughing internally, before tapping his shoulder.

"So how are you going to propose?" I asked, somewhat curious but mostly worried as Stark didn't seem like the hearts-and-flowers type, which is what many want in a proposal. I saw the excitement dim and he looked worried again. I shook my head and sat him back down on the couch.

"Ok, Stark. You need to do something like this…" I started, hesitating before deciding to share the way that I proposed to Bucky. _I just won't say any names._ Stark nodded, listening attentively and only interrupting to tell Jarvis to take notes. Finally I finished and he looked contemplative.

"Alright… So how about I take her to the restaurant we went on our first date? Is that romantic enough or too cheesy?" He asked and I considered it.

"That should be perfect. Now, flowers. Is she allergic to any?" I asked. He shook his head. "Perfect, I know the best florist in town." I gave him the address and he thanked me profusely. He started to leave the room, presumably to get the plan in motion before turning back to me.

"Hey, Captain… I'm really sorry about the other day. I shouldn't have been near that aggressive… But thank you, so much. I can't express how thankful I am to you for this… I would have probably just had Jarvis call her for me. This plan, it's perfect… It's almost like you've done this before." He said smiling brilliantly and then left before I could reply. I sat back down heavily on the couch and rested my head in my hands. _Ah, Stark… How little you know me. _I heard someone walk in the room and I looked up to see a _very_ angry BW. Frowning, I opened my mouth to ask what was wrong and she slapped me, twice.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yay! Babies and engagements! Whooooo! Captain got slapped, how odd. Wonder what's got Widow so grouchy...


	29. Chapter 29

**I don't own Avengers. I do own Mark, hey, a named OC of my very own :D**

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I blinked in surprise and she glared at me. I touched my cheek, not that it actually hurt but it was rather… odd to be suddenly slapped. _The hell is wrong with her now?_

"What was that for?" I asked mildly, not wanting to provoke her further. It didn't work. She grabbed me by the ear and dragged me to my room. Once there, she shut and locked the door.

"That was for being an idiotic, inconsiderate PIG!" She shouted and I tried to step away from her but the boxes of beer prevented me. _What is she talking about?_

"What did I do?" I asked, prepared to duck. _Clearly she has lost her mind…_

"You kissed Tony! Are you that desperate?" She asked, hands on her hips. I stared in shock, one eyebrow raised.

"Stark kissed me on the cheek after I helped him plan his engagement to Pepper, who happens to be pregnant." I deadpanned and I watched the wind fall right out of her sails. _All this because of a kiss on the cheek? What the hell?_

"…Oh." She replied. She shook her head and made an awkward face. "Ah, misinformation." She muttered under her breath. I looked at her questioningly but she shook her head at me. "Well, the party is around 4:30, you have about… half an hour to get these drinks upstairs so they have time to prepare. Give me five minutes so I have time to toss Clint into the pool as a distraction. Should I assume that Tony won't be here?" I nodded affirmatively and she glanced at my bottle of champagne. "You should grab some glasses for that, it'd make it feel more… well, it'd make more sense." She then left my room. I rolled my eyes at her antics and stretched, waiting the requested five minutes. Then I started carrying the bags to the elevator, wondering how exactly we were going to drink all of this.

It only took me a few minutes to unload all the drinks and I stood there, amazed by what BW had done. To my right, candles were… Everywhere, scenting the air with a soft citrus, rather uplifting. A large campfire was set up and there were quite a number of small couches, sized for one or two, if they were comfortable being _very_ close to each other, placed around the fire. Each couch had a table on either end, presumably to hold their drinks, and there were candles there too. _Hop_e_fully no one gets too drunk..._ On my left, I saw two huge bars with about ten uniformed people milling about. _How many people are going to be at this 'little' party…?_ A young man approached me and I looked at him.

"Hello, sir. I am Mark, one of the barstaff for the evening; allow me to show you to where the drinks can be stored." He then led me to a rather large bar where four other bartenders stood. I put the bags on the ground and they started to set up the bar, I went back and brought the rest. _What is BW planning? Five bartenders for one party?_ Over here, there were more candles but these were scentless and electric. There was also a campfire set up, but instead of couches there were small tables with room for three people at the most. Another huge table was across from the bar, this one held buffet-style plates that had food slowly being set out by another five people. I walked back to the elevator and I heard a soft _ding_ as the doors opened, allowing a small group of people in black and white to exit, along with BW.

"Alright people. Ten minutes 'til showtime! Steve, go distract Hawkeye, Thor and Bruce will be shepherding the guests up here and it's your turn. At five o'clock, get him in the elevator. I don't care if you have to pick him up and carry him, don't be late. And by god, if you're early and ruin this _I will end you_." She barked out before going around the waitstaff, ordering them to do this and that. I didn't move for a moment, dreading having to 'distract' Hawkeye for forty minutes. BW turned and saw me standing there and the look she threw was enough to send me scurrying into the elevator.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The Widow is fun, I like her character here... Does anyone else? And uh oh Cap, looks like you're going to _have_ to talk with Hawkeye! So, I'm thinking that now there's going to be slash soon... hopefully. But what do you all think?

SIDE NOTE: Ok, the roof is reeeally big. I'm talking like, 30 yards by 40 yards (27ish meters by 36ish meters). This is Avengers _Tower_, so it's going to be rather large. So, there's two campfires at either end. The elevator is in between the left and right sides. The left side has electric candles, food, and an alcohol bar. The right side has couches and fire-candles. Make sense?

FURTHER NOTE: So this "typing" thing is taking longer than I expected, sorry. I'm just a bit busy with some other stuff, but I will do my best to upload daily until this story is done!


	30. Chapter 30

**I don't own Avengers.**

* * *

As I rode down the elevator, I paced. _What am I supposed to do, juggle? How do I keep Hawkeye distracted for forty minutes? _The elevator dinged and I immediately straightened and made myself look calm again. I walked out and wondered how to distract Hawkeye when I didn't know where he was. My cell beeped and I picked it up. I had a text from BW. _"He's in the pool still,_ _probably plotting my death. Possibly drowning as he can't swim well. May want to run."_ I shook my head, reread the last bit, swore and sprinted.

I burst through the doors to see Hawkeye back-floating, glaring at the ceiling. He sat up and dropped like a stone under; I felt my heart constrict as I dove in to get him. _Why would BW throw him in the pool if he can't swim?_ I grabbed him and pulled him up. He looked at me with raised eyebrows and confused.

"Uh, Cap? What're you doing?" He asked. I dropped him and stepped back. I felt my face go hot and he looked at me, clearly fighting down a laugh at my expression.

"I uh… You, water… BW said you were drowning. That you couldn't, ah, swim well. Then you went under." I stammered, backing away another step. _I really hate you, BW._

"Well that's odd… seeing as she's the one who doesn't like water. And she shoved me in; she wouldn't do that if I couldn't swim. Well, probably." He replied, before going into a back-float. I watched him for a moment, feeling quite tricked, before I started to swim away, irritated at how wet I was. _I will get you back for this, BW. I will have my revenge._ Suddenly I felt something wrap around my ankle as I was pulled under, breath whooshing out of my lungs. I opened my eyes and flipped around to see Hawkeye wave with a mischievous smile. _Oh that little…_ I swam up for air and then chased after him, laughing and breathing more water than air.

A little while later, we were lazily drifting, occasionally splashing one another and just having fun. _This went surprisingly well._ Hawkeye slowly floated near me and I smiled a slow, easy smile. He grinned back.

"So, Cap. How's post-dreamland life?" He asked. I thought about it.

"I'm not sure. It's very… odd. How about you?" I replied. He glanced at me, obviously concerned. I tried unsuccessfully to not enjoy his concern. He shrugged and went under, coming back up with a cough. I laughed and he threw me a mock irritated glare.

"Pretty… up and down. But I'm glad I came out." He said back, the last bit rather quietly. I looked at him.

"So am I." Our eyes met and it felt like hours but must have been just moments. Without my noticing it, we had stood up and moved closer to each other. We now stood mere inches from each other, I was having difficultly breathing and he seemed to have the same problem. He shivered suddenly.

"What's wrong, Hawkeye… Cold?" I whispered to him and he shook his head, never breaking our shared gaze.

"Unless you're planning on warming me up, Captain." He whispered back. I had trouble tearing my eyes away from his lips and we both leaned forward at the same time…

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, those who are like "but Cap is a super soldier, he would be able to fight of Hawkeye's underhanded attack!" Hawkeye is a trained asassain... he can be sneaky. And Cap was distracted.

! Well, sorta. But it seems that Cap seems to have forgotten something... :D


	31. Chapter 31

**I don't own Avengers.**

* * *

My eyes shut, we took breath from the same air and I could feel his heartbeat against mine. Just before we could actually touch lips, we were unceremoniously drenched with icy cold water from above. We both leapt backwards, one of us making an extremely high-pitched girlish shriek. I grabbed Hawkeye and pulled him towards the end of the pool, trying to get out of this freezing water. _Whoever the hell did this, will have hell to pay. _Hawkeye let me pull him and climbed out of the water, helping me up. We then ran, shivering madly, out of the room. Once out, I saw the clock and swore. _Five minutes to get us dried off and on the roof? Damnitt…_ Hawkeye looked at me oddly and I grabbed his hand; he ran aside me as I led us to our rooms.

"Cap… why are… we running…?" he asked, panting as he tried to keep up as his lips turned blue. _If he gets hypothermia…_

"We're late." I grunted out, reaching his door and catching him when he almost ran past me. I opened it, shoved him in. "Put on dry clothes. The purple shirt, the one that makes you look edible and dark pants. Two minutes." I sprinted off but caught his shocked expression and then my brain caught up to my mouth. _Goddamnitt, can I talk to him without making references to his incredible attractiveness? _I shook my head and stripped down as I opened my door, grabbing the shirt and pants and pulling them on; one part of my mind was paying enough attention to wonder why a freshly ironed, button-up shirt and tight undershirt lay on a pair of perfectly matched pants on my bed, along with a note. I glanced at the note, snorted, then obeyed, leaving my button-up half-unbuttoned and dabbing on the "bottled sex" cologne. I then quickly walked out of my room to find Hawkeye exiting his. I paused in my fast pace, appreciating the view. The shirt really made him stand out and paired with dark pants… I swallowed hard and then picked up the pace. Hawkeye looked me over with a smile and matched my speed.

"Sooo…. What exactly are we late for?" He asked, curious but not particularly alarmed. I considered the possible lies.

"Stark is proposing to Pepper. We're supposed to be there, so hurry up." I replied, risking another glance at him. _Smooth, soldier. We can do this._ He was walking rather close and I got a whiff of his aftershave. It smelled clean, refreshing… Like a pond I wanted to dive strai-_Woah, calm down the libido. Elevator, party, angry BW?_ Hawkeye turned to exit the tower and I caught his arm, leading him to the elevator instead.

"I told him to be as romantic as possible. He thought it'd be best on the roof." I explained, my hand refusing to release his arm. He didn't seem to mind. _Soldier, let go. You should let go. Now. Release. _

We reached the elevator and I tapped the button while he leaned against the wall, eyes half shut. I examined every inch of him and fought the urge to touch. _Calm down. Look away. No, he probably thinks you're embarrassed. Slowly let your eyes look at him, now look away.. Look away. Soldier, are you even listening? _Hawkeye's lips curled up in a smile as he watched me evenly. I held my breath. I looked away.

"You know, Cap… Breathing is pretty important. You haven't done it in a while." He said calmly, an odd lilt to his voice. I let my breath out in a whoosh, suddenly noticing the burn in my lungs. I blushed. He smiled. The elevator dinged. I looked at him and gestured for him to go first. I walked behind him, trying to breathe without noticing his scent.

"SURPRISE!" shouted the guests when they saw Hawkeye. I felt his surprise in his sudden tensing and I worried for a moment about the logic of surprising a soldier…

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Wow, very anxious Captain... OOC? And did you reaaally think I'd just _give_ you slash right away? Pishposh, that's poppycock. Patience!

So, we're on chapter 31. I thought this was going to be maaaaybe 15 chapters, more like 10. Misjudged that a bit...

It's been 11 chapters since I last got a review... But I got a bunch more favorites and followers... So mixed signals. Like or no like? What parts do you like? What don't you like?


	32. Chapter 32

**I don't own Avengers**

* * *

I needn't have worried though as I saw Hawkeye relax quickly. He turned and smiled broadly at me before BW came over and dragged him away, winking at me. I was instantly worried again, wondering what she could have planned, but Thor threw his arm around my shoulder and led me to the bar.

"Alright, mortal. You claim that alcohol has no effect on you, let us test this…" he said loudly. _This should be interesting…_

Twenty minutes and quite a few pints of Asgardian Ale later, I was smiling cheerfully at Thor who glared at me.

"No mortal should be able to drink one pint of this, you can't tell me that you feel _nothing_." He said. I shrugged.

"Last time I got drunk, it took three solid hours and the bar's entire stock. And the drunkedness only lasted about half an hour." I replied. I felt something brush my back and I turned to see Hawkeye sitting behind me.

"The entire stock? You didn't tell me that part of the story…" he said grinning. "Captain, do you have an alcohol problem?"

"No, but alcohol seems to have a problem with me. It refuses to keep me company." I replied with mock sadness. He patted my shoulder consolingly.

"Aw, that's so sad, Cap. Here, I'll keep you company." He said.

"That's so sweet! Thanks, Hawkeye!" I replied enthusiastically. We managed to keep our straight faces for a few seconds but then started laughing. Thor watched us before rising.

"I will never understand you mortals and your… flirting. Just kiss." He muttered under his breath with a shake of the head and walking over to Bruce. I stared at him in shock and Hawkeye cleared his throat.

"What's so interesting about Thor's back?" he asked and I choked.

"Nothing…" I said back. Hawkeye raised his eyebrows at me and I fought the flush. _Relax, soldier._ "It's more what he said that's interesting…"

"What did he say? I didn't hear him…" he replied curiously. "Judging by your face, it must've been quite…. Intriguing."

"He said he didn't understand mortal flirting." I replied. He laughed. I relaxed slightly. "So, how do you like your party?"

"It's nice to know that there's a group of people who want me around." He replied. "I'm not big into parties or crowds, but… I like it." He signaled the bartender who immediately brought him a drink. He took a sip and glanced at me. "You alright there, Cap?" I blinked and averted my eyes.

"Yea, fine. Just… thinking." I replied. _Wow, soldier. Maybe that ale did do something, or perhaps the Asgardian who brought up kissing. No, don't look at his lips._ Hawkeye snapped his fingers and I blinked again. _Focus! _I smiled, attempting to be reassuring that I was fine. He watched me, a slight worry in his eyes.

"What's got you so distracted there, Cap?" he asked me and I tried unsuccessfully to look away from his lips.

"I just can't stop thinking about your lips." I replied and then stepped back, eyes bulging. _What the hell?_

"Captain? What did you just say?" he asked shocked. _Lie, lie, lie!_

"That I can't stop thinking about your lips." I answered, despite trying to say something different… and less honest. _What's happening? Why did I say that?_

* * *

__AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Cap seems to be having issues speaking again! What will Hawkeye do now?

TO THE REVIEWERS: :D Thank you! I love you all and you rock.

I'm _planning_ to have three more chapters and then _possibly_ a series of companion pieces for scenes that didn't make it (but only if there's enough of them...). :D


	33. Chapter 33

**I don't own Avengers**

* * *

I stepped backwards again and Hawkeye reached out a hand.

"Hey, Ca-" He started to say but I turned and ran. I fled to the elevator, frantically pushing the button. _What is wrong with me? What just happened?_ Hawkeye caught up but the elevator opened. I dove in and hit shut, but he was too quick. He stepped in and stared at me as I lay on the floor, where I landed.

"Cap." He said quietly. The elevator doors shut. _You couldn't do that a few seconds earlier? _I didn't respond. I covered my ears and shut my eyes. _This isn't happening._ He knelt and touched my shoulder, rubbing it gently.

"Steve. Relax." He said soothingly and despite myself, I felt soothed. I sat up but kept my face hidden. _Not only could I cook eggs on my face right now, I could probably cook the toast and bacon too._ "Steve. If you don't look at me, I will have to make you."

"Don't. I'd enjoy you trying too much." I said against my will. "GOD FUCKING DAMNITT WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" I shouted. I jumped up. Hawkeye put his hands up and tried to calm me. I ignored it and I walked toward him, cornering him to the wall. "Why can't I lie? Why can't I pretend this isn't happening?" I stared straight into his eyes and Hawkeye looked at me, pain clear in his face.

"Is that what you want, Cap? To pretend there isn't something?" he asked, touching my side gently. I looked down and backed off, to the other side of the elevator.

"Of course not. I want for there to be something so badly that it hurts." I whispered. He sat next to me. I slid away.

"Then relax, Cap." He replied and I looked at him.

"How can I relax when I have no choice but to tell the truth?" I asked. He pulled me closer and I let him, too tired to fight.

"You'll have to trust me then. I trusted you with Loki, in the dreamland, can you trust me here?" he responded.

"I've always trusted you." I stated, watching his face and definitely not staring at his lips. He looked at me and we met gazes. My hand reached up and I touched his face; his hand moved to my back and we stared at each other.

"What are you thinking about now?" he whispered to me and I felt his breath on my face. I inched closer.

"You." I replied and our eyes closed as we closed the gap, our lips meeting in a brief but tender kiss.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

THEY FINALLY KIIIISSSSEEEDD :D :D :D :D  
BUT THIS IS NOT THE END YET! One, possibly two, more chapters. They'll be uploaded once I finish re-editing them (I changed the story plan again, that's why it took so long for this chapter, I was re-working) which should be later on tonight or tomorrow.

After trying out a few of the unseen-scenes to write into companion pieces, I've decided that there is plenty of material. So, once this story is done, I'll start uploading them. They will say what chapter (or if they're in between chapters, which ones) they take place during for your convenience.


	34. Chapter 34

**I don't own Avengers.**

* * *

Suddenly the elevator doors opened and I saw a flash. We both jumped back and saw BW standing there with a camera, smirking. She tossed me a bottle.

"Drink that. I had Thor slip you an Asgardian potion, one that wouldn't be metabolized, tonight that forced you to answer and answer honestly. You're welcome." She then waved and walked away but then turned. "Oh, I'll make sure you both get a copy of the picture." Hawkeye and I looked at each other and laughed.

"I can't believe you didn't notice Thor poisoning you!" he exclaimed. I pushed the button to shut the door again, thought about it and also hit the button to take us to the second floor. I looked at the bottle, about to open it. Hawkeye frowned and took it out of my hand. I allowed him but watched carefully.

"I dunno if I want you to take this… How else will I know what you're thinking?" he said, twirling the bottle. I stepped forward, took the bottle, dropped it in my pocket, and then pulled him tight to me.

"I don't think I need to lie anymore… not to you." I whispered into his hair before kissing the top of his head and holding him close.

"I remember you doing that… When I was in dreamland." He said, nuzzling my chest. I stiffened and he looked up with a frown.

"You remember what I did during dreamland? How much?" I asked, a bit worried. He looked at me.

"Most of it… You taking care of me. You sang to me, that's what brought me out… That and the all-consuming jealousy when you told me Tony tried to kiss you." He replied. "Why?" I shook my head.

"Because I kissed you when I woke up and you didn't. You were shaking and talking about how you were sorry, so I kissed you… I didn't know what else to do, I'm sorry…" I swore mentally and pulled out the bottle, starting to open it. Hawkeye put a hand on mine and I looked up.

"Steve, Cap… I know you did. I needed you to, I was so scared. I'm not mad, I never was… I wanted you to kiss me." He replied, faintly pinking. I saw the honest earnestness in his eyes, I sighed but looked at the bottle. "I know you need to take it, you can't be Captain America leader of the Avengers and answer every question honestly… But for tonight, can you not?" I shook my head.

"Clint, I promise, I will answer anything you ask honestly, but this doesn't just force me to answer, it forces me to answer _immediately_. What if I had said 'I took advantage of you in your sleep'? I did, but it was just a kiss. You would have left and probably hit me. And it's not exactly equal. You have nothing forcing you to tell me everything." He looked at me and released my hand.

"Alright, I'm sorry… Take the potion." He said, somewhat sheepishly. "I guess I didn't really think about that." I downed the drink and winced at the taste. Then I grabbed Hawkeye and pulled him towards me.

"This ok?" I asked, checking. He nodded; eyes widening a bit in surprise at the sudden move.

"Just perfect." He replied. "Though it could be improved…" he said before pulling my face down and kissing me. The elevator _ding_ed and the doors opened, I heard a crash so I unwilling pulled away from Hawkeye to see Stark staring open mouthed.

"Stark?" I asked, gesturing to the ground where a thankfully-unbroken bottle of wine rolled. He blinked and picked it up. He then suddenly seemed to overcome his shock and laughed.

"So that's why you were so opposed to me! You wanted Clint!" he exclaimed, glancing up and down Clint. "I don't blame you, he's very much not bad." Clint's eyebrows raised so high so fast I was a little worried they would permanently join his hair.

"How'd the proposal go?" I asked, taking Hawkeye's hand and exiting the elevator. _Come on, Stark… Hurry up, I have better things to be doing…_

"Brilliantly! I owe you majorly for the help, Cap. I told Pepper my original idea and she said she would have said no… Which is mean but hey, she said yes!" At that he smiled broadly at me, the wall, and the ceiling. I rolled my eyes.

"Congratulations then. I wish you happiness and many babies. Bye now!" said Hawkeye, pulling me away and down the hall. Stark laughed, calling out one last thing.

"Have fun, lovebirds! And Clint, we must discuss the finer aspects of Steve's ass… and vice versa!"

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

One more chapter and then the epilogue... and then we're all done O_O. Wow...

So, the ending is moving _very_ fast, I know... but whenever I tried to slow it down, it just felt forced, or at least to me. What do you think?


	35. Chapter 35

**I don't own Avengers.**

* * *

We reached the hallway where our rooms were and we slowed down. Looking at each other, a moment of silent conversation, we headed to my rooms. Walking in, Hawkeye immediately saw the flowers and touched the peony. He turned to me and touched my cheek softly.

"I thought you were the one to slip me the flower… Thank you." He whispered and I smiled back. He then saw the champagne and laughed. I looked at it a bit confused, as it now was floating in a bucket of ice and there were two champagne flutes next to it.

"Did you plan this? I find it difficult to believe you did, given that you were drugged, but…" he asked, chuckling. I picked up the bottle and just grinned, excited he was here, in my room, and not unconscious this time, not really caring that BW sent someone into my room to chill the champagne and deliver the glasses.

"No, I just remembered that this was the kind you liked and bought it… Then I didn't know what to do with it." I answered, watching him and memorizing every detail of his face. He took the bottle from me and looked at me, surprised.

"How did you remember that? I didn't even recognize it right away…" he drifted off when he saw my stare and he smiled. Pulling me close, he fit into me perfectly and he hugged me tight. "Do you want to drink and talk, drink and _not_ talk, or both?" he asked into my chest. I was too busy breathing in his scent to answer. _I don't care; I just want you here, in my arms…_ He seemed to understand this and I felt him smile. He tugged me to the bed and I let him lead; allowing him to position me and then I just wrapped my arms around him and held him close.

"I remember this too… It was real, right?" he asked quietly. I nodded.

"I always tried to sleep in that chair, but at some point in the night I wound up with you in the bed." I replied.

"And you kissed my forehead and talked to me?" He said questioningly, I understood his worry. _Even now he's concerned that he's in the dreamland…_

"All the time. I kissed your hand a lot, too… whenever I left or came back." I pulled his hand up and kissed it, watching him. "I also gave you water every half an hour and promised you coffee if you woke up." He nodded and looked a little relieved. He moved his face close to mine and he watched me for a while; I laid there and reveled in holding him while he was awake. After a few moments, he shifted and took the champagne bottle and one of the flutes from where they were sitting on the nightstand. He poured it and handed it to me, reaching over again to pour himself one. We clinked glasses and rose them in toast.

"To crazy dreams." offered Hawkeye.

"And even crazier women." I finished and with a smile, we drank.

It was a few hours later, when we had finished off the bottle, and Hawkeye was a touch giggly, that we found ourselves talking about each other.

"I can't place when I started being attracted to you." I answered, running my fingers through his hair.

"Why not?" he asked with a pout. "I can tell you... It was a few seconds after meeting you." I smiled and tugged his hair gently.

"Well, you didn't exactly make it easy for me... Every time I was nice to you, you would yell at me."

"I didn't want you to think that I was weak..." he replied, still pouting. "I thought you were pitying me."

"I wasn't, I was trying to be friends."

"I didn't know that!" he exclaimed indignantly. I suppressed a laugh and kissed his nose.

"I suppose you didn't."

"So, when did you realize you _liiiiiked_ me?" he asked and I rolled my eyes.

"I had my suspicions about myself after the Vaseline incident and I knew for sure after the "HotGuy" slip." He smiled a huge grin at that.

"That was so fundorable when you did that... I was gonna kiss you but you looked so confused, I didn't want to freak you out." he replied. _...fundorable?_

"Fundorable?" I questioned and he nodded wisely.

"Funny AND adorable." I raised my eyebrows but he yawned and nuzzled into my neck. "Sleepy." he mumbled. I rubbed his back, running my hand up and down.

"Sleep, Clint. I'll be here in the morning." He opened his eyes and looked at me sharply.

"Promise?" I nodded and a sleepy smile found his face. He rested his head on my chest and was out like a light within seconds. I smiled affectionately at his head and kissed it gently.

"I would never leave you, Clint."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

And with that, I end it. Well, sort of. There's still the epilogue and then the companion pieces... But, Hawkeye and Cap are now happily together. Slash was finally achieved. Apologies to anyone who wanted smut, I tried and blushed so hard that I passed out from the lack of blood... Except I exaggerate. But seriously, I can do it; I just can't post it. So, you get a sweet and fluffy end.

Uhm, the epilogue is taking me a bit longer than I thought, because the _original_ (and abandoned) plan for this story was for it to involve a _lot_ more angst. I'm rewriting it to fit better but I think I'll have to scrap it and do it all over, so it will be up and posted tomorrow, Friday at the latest.

Astral: I tried _so hard_ to only upload a chapter a day.. but I would get so worked up about it that I gave in and now I just upload as I have the chapters. The reviews only worry me when it's been a while because I do try to take what you say into account.

The companion series will be called "Freudian Slips: The Missing Scenes". It will be uploaded the day after the epilogue and each chapter will have a title and will say at what point in "Freudian Slips" it occurred. I have no idea of many chapters will be included, but there _definitely_ will be Hawkeye-Dreamland (probably a few), and Stark's Proposal.

There definitely will be several more stories set in the future of this plotline... To be uploaded at some point.


	36. Epilogue

**I don't own the Avengers**

* * *

I lay in bed, holding Clint as he slept and watching over him. I smiled as I brushed his hair out of his eyes. _Twelve months… Just last year I was convinced you would never awaken…_ I kissed his cheek and slowly got out of bed, careful to not wake him up. Alas, I failed and he glared at me. I obeyed the silent command and crawled back into bed, with him immediately reattaching himself to me. I couldn't find it in me to be actually annoyed, so I just shut my eyes and let myself doze.

I woke up to Clint nuzzling my neck, his usual way of waking me up. I smiled at him and he pulled me out of bed. We got dressed and then I mussed his hair as he rolled his eyes. After I had messed it up enough, he re-brushed his hair and I sighed dramatically.

"But I like it messed up!" I said and he poked me in the side.

"And I like you naked; you don't see me stripping you." He replied and I raised my eyebrows. "Well, not all the time… Not when we're going out at least. Not in public."

"What about Stark's wedding? I seem to recall a terrified Thor finding us in the hot tub…" I asked and he tinged a bit.

"That doesn't count." I laughed and he threw me a smile. Walking out of our room, I ran through my meticulously planned day and Clint tapped my knee. Blinking, I realized I was sitting at the table and he was watching me, amused.

"Hey, Cap. What're you thinking about?" he asked and I smiled, shaking my head.

"No, it's a surprise." I answered and he frowned instantly.

"Cap, if this is a 'surprise' like having that male stripper dance on me and drag me onto the dance-floor with him, I _will_ hunt you down. And shoot you." He said and I chuckled. _That was such a good idea… I'm so glad I videotaped it._

"You'll like this one. I promise." I replied and if anything, his expression turned darker.

"That's exactly what you said before 'Roxie' assaulted me…" Clint shook his head and he took a swig of his coffee. I stood up and grabbed my own.

"Well, you did like it… Parts of you at least." I defended myself and he stared at me.

"Did BW sneak an aphrodisiac in your drink again?" He asked and I smirked. He looked at me amusedly. I stood up and held out my hand.

"Come on, we have a lot of places to go today."

* * *

He looked at me, the elevator doors, and then back at me, obviously confused.

"Why are we standing in the elevator?" he asked and I smiled.

"This is where we first kissed." He looked at me oddly and I shook my head. I then took his hand and I led him to the pool.

"Here is where we almost kissed." He smiled at that, and laid his head on my shoulder.

"I hope the sprinklers don't drench us again." Clint said and I chuckled. After a few moments, we left for my motorcycle and got on, he squeezed me when he was ready; I drove us off.

* * *

We stood in front of a large monument, a statue of the Avengers; it was placed on the ground where Loki last stood. I looked at him and touched his hand.

"This is where I first saw that you were a truly brilliant man. You had the most perfect aim and knew exactly what to do. That moment is when I wanted to be your friend." I told him, holding his hand in mine. We stood silent for a moment before he looked at me.

"Why did you take me here?" He asked and I hesitated.

"You once asked me a question. I didn't know how to answer it at the time, but I finally found it." I replied and he looked at me confused. I shook my head. "There's more."

* * *

Next we reached the bridge; I carefully pulled up to the side and made sure that no cars would hit us. Clint glanced at me. I waited for him to remember. Recognition dawned when I pulled him to one part of the wall where it had been quite clearly mended.

"This is where that giant threw you off, right?" I nodded.

"You saved me; you shot one of your string-arrow-things that caught me." I said, running a hand down his arm. He frowned.

"I also shot you through the shoulder blade… and Hulk pulled you up, not me." he replied, looking away. I touched his cheek softly.

"The arrow that prevented my falling 370 feet, actually more since he threw me upwards as well, into a river that was chock full of rocks, during a lightning storm." I shot back, not happy that he still felt guilt. He looked at me and I held his face in both hands. "You saved me, Clint." He frowned and I copied it. He rolled his eyes and I kissed him deeply. He stroked my cheek and I smiled at him. "Come on, one more place."

* * *

Finally, we reached the final stop. We were at a museum, specifically the world's most comprehensive museum of superheroes and supervillains. He looked at me oddly.

"Isn't this the place where I was captured? Why would you take me here… It wasn't exactly my brightest moment." He asked and I held his hand to my lips in a kiss.

"This is quite possibly the most important spot… It's where I realized that I don't just love you." I closed my eyes and prepared to risk it all. _Relax, soldier._ "It's where I realized that I couldn't live here, do this Avengers thing, without you." I saw his shocked face and I took a deep breath, dropping to one knee. "Clint Barton, Hawkeye, former agent of SHIELD, teammate, partner… Will you marry me?"

I held up the ring and tried to breathe. Clint touched my face gently and I saw tears well up in his eyes. He tried to speak but choked and I panicked. _Why is he crying? He's going to say no. Oh god. He's going to say no. _He nodded frantically and I immediately relaxed. I stood up swiftly and pulled him into a tight hug. His tears dampened my shirt and I kissed his face.

"I thought you were going to say no, oh my god… Why are you crying?" I asked, wiping the tears away.

"I… I don't know." He hiccuped and I smiled, kissing him again. "I'm just… I love you, Steve." I smiled broadly and picked him up, ignoring his squawk of protest and twirling him.

"You said yes!" I exclaimed and put him back down. He glared halfhearted at me and I couldn't stop grinning.

"I know I did. Don't lift me!" Clint replied, but the smile on his face gave him away, as did the happiness shining in his eyes.

"Isn't it traditional for the groom to carry the bride?" asked BW and I looked at her.

"He said yes!" I told her, smiling. _Damn, my mouth hurts. Clint should kiss it better… but later._

"Then I should be lifting him." Replied Clint and I rolled my eyes, hugging BW. She ignored him.

"I told you he would." She replied, hugging me back. Glancing at Clint, she smiled. "I don't think you could lift him." She then hugged him too. He snorted.

"Oh, he can. Trust me." I said. She looked contemplatively for a moment before shaking her head. "But I like lifting him. He secretly likes it." I whispered conspiratorially to her. She raised her eyebrows.

"You are in a seriously good mood… Though you did just get engaged. Well, I'm off to go tell my girlfriend. Have fun!" she said, walking off. Clint and I met gazes for a moment and then sprinted off to the motorcycle to go back home. _He said yes._

* * *

__AUTHOR'S NOTE:

_sniff sniff_... it's all done now...

Ok, Captain is a bit (or possibly very) OOC, but he was nervous and excited for his proposal.

All the scenes that were mentioned but not talked about in the story will be written and posted, either in oneshots or as a part of the series... Though I'm _considering_ developing the museum one into a full fledged story, a sequel. (Kind of, does it still count as a sequel if I mention it in the prequel, even if it's in the epilogue? Damn that's confusing...). But anyways, they're there because this chapter/epilogue is set as one year after they got together... So stuff happened.

I have to say, I loved writing this and I'm sad that it's over but I'm so excited that I finished. Thank you so much, readers.


End file.
